Raymond William Hetterscheidt of Westerville, OH (formerly of Johnstown, OH), passed away surrounded by his loving family on Monday, October 16, 2023 at the age of 87. He was the devoted husband of Roxanne (Rockie) Rudolph Hetterscheidt. Ray was born on June 8, 1936 in Columbus, OH to the late George and Loretta (Maurer) Hetterscheidt.

Ray is survived by his wife of 65 years, Rockie, as well as 5 children: daughter Barb (Dave) Robison of Sunbury, OH; son Steve (Jennifer) Hetterscheidt of Oakland, TN; daughter Joan (Richard) Dunbar of Johnstown, OH; son Frank (Brenda) Hetterscheidt of Blacklick, OH; and daughter Rayn (JJ Case) Hetterscheidt of Bishop, CA. He is also survived by 5 grandchildren: Shannon (Daniel) Johnson of Westerville, OH; Amanda (David) Short of Blacklick, OH; Kate Robison of Sunbury, OH; Andy Hetterscheidt; and Emily (Devin) Lutz of New Washington, OH, as well as 3 great-grandchildren: Coleman and Hannah Johnson, and Margaret Lutz. In addition to his parents, Ray was preceded in death by his infant son Charles.

Ray served his country with pride as an Army reservist with an honorable discharge in 1963. The entirety of his 30-year career was spent in quality assurance for Western Electric, later known as AT&T. During his employment, Ray supported the American Red Cross through many years of regular blood donations. He also enjoyed daily lunchtime euchre games with coworkers.

Ray and Rockie were married on September 13, 1958 and started their family the following year. In 1965, they moved with their 4 children to 9 acres in Johnstown and quickly created their own nature preserve which they named “Pines and Vines Farm”. Their first project was planting hundreds of white pines along the property lines. A pond was built for swimming and fishing, and Ray continued to add a large garden, apple trees, berry bushes, beehives, and a vineyard from which he made his own wine.

Ray had a brilliant engineer’s mind and could master anything electronic. He built his own computer as well as an organ for Rockie in their home. His strong ability to reason, plan, and strategize led him to serve on the Northridge School Board and later as a liaison for the addition and remodeling of Northridge High School. He also served as the Zoning Inspector for Liberty Township.

Along with Rockie, he was an active member of the Church of the Ascension in Johnstown. He was also a member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, serving at both their men’s homeless shelter and by making home visits to families in need within the congregation and community.

Ray had a lifelong love of the outdoors. He took many camping trips with his family, raising his children with the same love of nature. He enjoyed hiking, fishing, canoeing, and traveling in his Lazy Daze RV with Rockie. Most recently, he enjoyed walking to Inniswood Metro Park from their assisted living apartment at Inniswood Village. Ray and Rockie were known as “the walkers” by the other residents.

Ray was devoted to helping his family, friends, and members of the community whenever needed. He could be counted on for sound advice or wisdom in any situation. He was calm, often a man of few words but always the voice of reason. He maintained a good sense of humor and enjoyed many laughs with those around him. Ray’s faith was evident in the way he treated others and the strength he carried throughout his life.

A memorial mass will be held at 11:00AM on Friday, October 20, 2023 at St. John Neumann Catholic Church, 9633 East State Route 37, Sunbury, OH 43074. Family will receive visitors prior to the mass from 10:00 - 11:00AM. A private burial will take place at the St. Joseph cemetery in Johnstown, OH.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the St. Vincent Haven in Newark, OH. Ray’s family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the staff of Inniswood Village for their support and care over the last two years. We are especially grateful to their hospice team who went above and beyond in Ray’s final days. 

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