Raymond A. McLaughlin

Raymond A. McLaughlin, 86 of Kearney passed away Sunday, July 24, 2022 at Kearney Regional Medical Center in Kearney. Memorial Services are 10:30 am Thursday, July 28, 2022 at First United Methodist Church in Kearney with Pastor Jeff Wulf officiating. Inurnment will follow at Riverside Cemetery in Gibbon with Military Honors provided by the Gibbon American Legion in conjunction with the Offutt Air Force Base Funeral Honors Team. The family will receive friends 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. Wednesday at O’Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral Home in Kearney. Memorials are suggested to Faith United Methodist Church or donor’s choice. Condolences may be shared online at www.osrfh.com. Services are entrusted to O’Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral and Cremation Services. Raymond was born May 17, 1936 in Portland, ME to Willis and Helen Doris (King) McLaughlin. Ray attended school in Portland, graduating in 1954. He was a member of the Portland National Guard in 1954 and entered into the United States Air Force on January 20, 1955 serving in Japan, Guam, Georgia, Michigan, Mississippi and the Philippines, retiring at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue NE in 1975. Ray married Mary Jane Beard on Dec 21, 1957.To this union Scott, Kim, Tonja and Tracy were born. Upon retiring from the USAF, Ray worked at Space Lanes in Bellevue and AMF Bowling Co. Traveling the area installing and repairing bowling centers; That brought him to the Big Apple Bowling Center in 1978. When he began there, it was only a 24-lane bowling center. Ray and his staff enhanced the facility into 36 lanes, a Sports bar, Miniature Golf, Sand Volleyball and Go Karts. In 1982, Ray married Donna and united her two girls, Dawn and Courtney to make a blended family. Upon retiring from the Big Apple in 2000, Ray continued working their ceramic shop, Creative Art Forms, in Gibbon which he and Donna opened in 1992.Ceramics had been a lifelong love of Ray beginning in Michigan and the Philippines. Ray found the Lord on March 2, 2014 being Baptized and joined Faith Methodist Church in Kearney. Ray is survived by his loving wife, Donna, son Scott (Tracie) McLaughlin of Kearney; daughters, Kim (Tim) Almgren of Omaha, Tonja (Gabriel) Parra of Pembroke Pines, FL, Tracy (Matt) Troncone of Haddonfield NJ, Dawn Beister of Des Moines IA. Son-in-law, Mike Hopkins of Kearney;grandchildren, Lindsay McLaughlin, Adam (Darryn) McLaughlin, Lauren (Joel) Thurman, Rose Almgren, Samantha (Desi) Barreto, Macie Troncone, Sydney Troncone, Hunter Hopkins, and Liz Hopkins. Rays newest light of his life, great grandchildren, Hannah Thurman, James McLaughlin, Eli Barreto and the new McLaughlin due in Oct. Ray was preceded in death by his parents; sisters, Francis Reed and Ruth Gregory; brothers, Donald and Danny McLaughlin, Stepdaughter, Courtney Hopkins.

Raymond A. McLaughlin

May 17, 1936 - July 24, 2022