1919 ~ 2020
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Raymond Reierson at the age of 100. He will be forever missed by his wife of 70 years Joyce Reierson, his four children; Patricia, Kevin, Neil and Pamela, their spouses; Jim, Jenny and Meguimi, grandchildren; Nicole, Slade, Hunter and Tekarra and great grandchildren; Miller and Taylor.
Ray joined the Artillery in 1941 because it was the Head Of The Column and The Right Of The Line, and it held all manners of mechanical fascination. After climbing the ladder from Gunner to Officer he waded ashore Juno Beach on D Day Plus 7 as a reinforcement. He served with the 3rd Division 13th Field Regiment RCA at the guns and at the front till “Cease Fire” on VE Day in Germany. His Battery fired over 200,000 shells. On leaving the army as a Captain he spent 5 years with the Veterans Land Act and settled 100 Veterans on farms and homes in the St Paul area. Ray was the last surviving WWII Veteran of the St Paul Legion, recipient of the French Medal of Honour, Member of the Alberta Legislature for 19 years, 16 as a Cabinet Minister holding five different portfolios. During his tenure as a Cabinet Minister he was the Alberta Government Representative on the Calgary Olympic Committee, was active in securing financing for Alberta Tar Sand Development, was instrumental in providing rural telephone services throughout Alberta,
Pioneered the establishment of Cable Vision in 1970, and was responsible for building AGT Tower which was the tallest building in Edmonton for years.
He was an Honourary Life Member of the Canadian Legion, and a Past Zone Commander. He served on the Board of Governors of the Canadian Corp of Commissionaires for over 40 years and was honoured with the Edmonton Division’s only Life Membership and the Corps Medal of Excellence.
He lived a life of hard work, honour and integrity, loving his family deeply and teaching us valuable lessons to his last breath. As a family we will be forever humbled by his strength and character and will miss him terribly.
A private memorial was held Sunday February 2, 2020.
Memorial donations in Ray’s memory are gratefully accepted directly to the Legion of your choice, or Wounded Warriors Canada.
To send condolences to the family, please visit
www.memoriesfuneral.com
Memories
Funeral Home & Crematorium
780-454-9111
Honoured Provider of Dignity Memorial
