Louis "Ray" Cormier

December 11, 1929 - August 24, 2026

Ray Cormier, 96, died on August 24, 2026, in Cudahy, Wisconsin. He was born December 11, 1929, in Haverhill, Massachusetts, one of seven children of Eva (née Ratté) and Francis Cormier.

Ray joined the Navy out of high school. One weekend on liberty in Milwaukee, he met Suzanne Heckel at the Eagles Club, and that was that. They married in 1953 and shared nearly fifty-five years. She was the love of his life, and he never hesitated to say so.

During the Korean War, Ray spent most of his time aboard the destroyer USS Witek, where he worked in submarine defense. As a young man, he was fearless. One night at sea during an awful storm, with the ship dark, Ray was the only man who volunteered to climb the mast and restore the masthead light.

After the Navy, Ray spent his entire career at the Milwaukee VA Medical Center. He started as a handyman, put his Navy training to work, and rose to first preventative maintenance supervisor, keeping the lights on and the boilers running for the hospital that cared for his fellow veterans. He took quiet pride in serving them twice.

Ray and Sue retired early to Florida, where they spent their mornings combing the beach for shells that he turned into art. He made pictures and woodcrafts as gifts for nearly everyone he knew and even sold some of the shell pieces in a local shop. He worked maintenance for his condo association, worked at Ace Hardware and put in time as a Walmart greeter, which suited a man who liked knowing everybody.

Later he and Sue added a condo on Browns Lake and a pontoon boat, coming back to Milwaukee every summer to be with their grandchildren. They took trips to the zoo, went fishing, and had picnics in the park. There were also trips to Southridge Mall, where Ray would settle onto a bench in the middle of it all with his newspaper or a Reader's Digest, and people-watch while Sue shopped. He was perfectly content there, and everyone knew exactly where to find him.

Sue and Ray chose a retirement community, Regency Muskego, that they both adored and were added to what seemed like a never-ending waitlist. When Sue passed away, Ray received the call that they had a condo available almost immediately-divine intervention for a man that thrived on social interaction. There he was an active member of the community, volunteered to care for the grounds, and met Ginny, who quickly became his closest companion until she passed away in 2018.

Ray was a caring man who had a way of making everyone feel welcome at a gathering. He was a lifelong Catholic, an altar boy as a child who kept his faith to the end, receiving last rites more than once, just to cover all his bases.

He loved Brewers baseball and never missed a game if he could help it. Ever the Wisconsin sports fan, his wardrobe was full of Brewers T-shirts and Packers sweatshirts. He refused to wear anything else and had multiple signs around his room asking to please make sure the TV was tuned to channel 308 anytime there was a Brewers game on.

For the last fifteen years of his life, his daughter, Debbie Trinidad, cared for Ray, seeing to his meals, his laundry, his comfort, and everything in between. She gave him steady, patient care, and it allowed him to stay himself to the end.

We also wish to recognize Andrea, Anne, James, Jean, and Cecilia of Ramsey Woods, as well as the wonderfully attentive staff at Moments Hospice, especially Summerbreeze, who cared for Ray with such kindness.

He is survived by his sisters Laurette, Evie, and Marie. He and Laurette shared an extra special bond and regularly wore out the phone lines. He is also survived by his two daughters, his seven grandchildren, fourteen great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by many dear friends and family, including his two great-grandchildren, Gerardo and Gianna Rose, whom he is surely already calling "love" and making crèches for in Heaven.

And of course, his wife, Sue, has been waiting for him for eighteen long years. Her birthday falls four days after his death, and we like to think he timed it that way so he could meet her there and dance with her to his favorite song, Spanish Eyes.

We will celebrate his life privately, in our own way, and we ask for your understanding during this difficult time.

Ray loved birds and wildlife all his life. His grandchildren and great-grandchildren have begun a fund toward a lasting tribute in his name, and they warmly welcome gifts in his memory to the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center, 1111 East Brown Deer Road, Bayside, Wisconsin. Gifts may be made at schlitzaudubon.org/get-involved/donate.