Raymond Claude “Ray” deBrauwere, born March 14, 1928 in Miami, Florida to Claude William and Pearle Reynolds deBrauwere, passed away Friday September 9th, 2022 after a brief illness at the age of 94. A lifelong Florida resident, he grew up in Miami and was a graduate of Miami High School. He met his soon to be wife Shirley Ann Dominy at a YWCA dance in 1951; they married in 1952; and they celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in March of this year.
Raymond had a 40 year career working for FPL (The Florida Power & Light Company). He started out as a helper and advanced to Lineman and other positions of increased responsibility before being named Personnel Manager for the Southeast Region in 1977. He retired in 1983, followed shortly by a move to the Ocala area.
Raymond loved spending time with his family as well as the outdoors and was a fan of many sports including baseball, where he coached all three of his sons’ teams in Youth Leagues. He later served as Chief Umpire, and was credited with creating a training system that helped in the development of young umpires. He was also a passionate fan of the Miami Dolphins!
Raymond was a devoted follower of Christ and became a Catholic at Christ the King Catholic Church in Citra, Florida, where he served for many years as the Administrator. He then finished his spiritual journey at Christ the King Anglican Church in Ocala, Florida.
Raymond will always be remembered as a loving husband and father. In addition to his wife Shirley, he is survived by his three sons and their wives: Bill (Cathy) of Hershey, PA; Scott (Trish) of Wake Forest, NC, and John (Dominica) of Marianna, FL. His five grandchildren include: Brian, Dan, Jack, Tim and Sara, and he welcomed his first great grandson recently with four month old Cooper! He is also survived by his loving niece Janice and her family.