April 25, 1929 - January 27, 2005

On behalf of the family, thank you for joining us in the celebration of the life of our husband, father, grandfather, uncle and friend - Raymond Gyger.

     I don’t know how many of you remember his little story about the guy that got up and started off by saying, “Unaccustomed as I am to public speaking” - then the guy goes on to speak for hours.  Well, I could go on for hours expounding on my father’s accomplishments and how he influenced every one of us.  It’s apparent he had some impact on your life, or you wouldn’t be here.

     Dad was born and raised in Princeton, IL.  Fresh out of high school, he joined the Army and ultimately served some time in Germany with the Constabulary - the first military police influence after WWII.  After his initial 3 years was up, he went back to Princeton, joined the National Guard and was the caretaker at the armory and did some work for the Bureau County Sheriff’s Office.  It was during this time that “Sonny” fell in love with a brown haired girl, telling her that she was going to marry him.  Talk about confidence!  She was dating someone else and supposed to get a ring in a few weeks, but as fate would have it, Mom and Dad were married Sept 14, 1950.  When Dad’s Guard unit was called up during the Korean Conflict, Dad went and served however Uncle Sam wanted him.  This time he decided to make a career of the Army; with stops in Camp Cook, CA - Ft Lewis, WA -  Ft Gordon, GA -  Lompoc, CA - Ft Benjamin Harrison, IN -  Everett, WA -  Iceland, Ft Knox, KY -  Ft Greeley, Alaska - Maryland and Germany; performing duties from MP/Prison Guard, Recruiter, Research and Development on the M60 tank and finally instructing educators how to teach about his baby, the M60 tank.  And somewhere along the line they managed to raise 2 kids, my sister, Judy and myself.  No wonder I got tired of moving!!! When Dad retired from the service, we went back to Maryland, where I live, but Dad and Mom soon grew restless for the Pacific Northwest and moved out here in 1975.  He worked for a lumber company and then got into real estate, then into property management.  Dad even made a run for the House of Delegates here in Washington, until his own father passed away right at the time he was supposed to file. 

     Dad was active in several organizations; civic as well as fraternal.  But Dad seemed to have a bigger calling.  He was upset that his government wasn’t taking care of the veterans like they promised.  Retirement with 20 years service was supposed to give the Vet lifetime health care and other benefits.  He was a man on a mission.  Dad rotated between Regional Vice-President and the Board of Directors for NAUS - National Association for Uniformed Services.  He’d serve 2 years as VP and then 2 years on the Board.  During this time, NAUS fought hard for the same beliefs Dad held.  This went on for several years until the later part of 2003, when Dad’s health started to take a turn for the worse.

     In talking with people and trying to get their input as to how Dad may have influenced their lives, there were 3 distinct characteristics:  His sense of Humor, he had a nick-name for people close to him and his convictions.  If Dad liked you, he’d give you a hard time.  You’d hear a joke or some wise crack.  Don’t try to get into a battle of wits - he was sharp.  And he’d tell you, “Don’t come to a battle of wits half armed”.  Nick names?  Blondie, Schotzie, Red, Sport, Header.  And his convictions - My Father was really one of the last people I wanted to try and justify myself to if my beliefs were opposite of his.

     I had a conversation a couple years ago with a friend of mine who was studying for the Ministry.  I asked why God let some people suffer with infirmaries or lack of creature comforts and why others he didn’t.  My friend’s answer was - God cares about your character, not your comfort. With all Dad went through, he had plenty of character.

      I’m sure everyone here has fond memories of their times with my father - I’ve got a lifetime full.  I was one of the proudest Graduates at the FBI National Academy when my parents came for graduation.  It was there that Dad extended his wisdom and smile across the Atlantic to a fellow police officer of mine.  Igor was a tank commander when the Czech Republic was under Soviet rule, but at the National Academy he was assistant commander of the Slovakian National Police SWAT Team.  I took Mom and Dad to a restaurant and invited Igor Matiasovski to join us, figuring my parents would give him a warm reception.  I wasn’t wrong.  All during dinner, Dad and Igor were talking about tanks  - the difference between the equipment and capabilities.  From that point forward, Igor was a part of the family.  He loved Dad’s Buick - had to have his picture taken with he and Dad leaning against the front of it.  He called Dad the “Old Tanker”.  Dad got a kick out of that.  And it stuck.

     Well, the Old Tanker has ordered his crew to cap the main gun and shut the engine down.  All of his infirmaries and health problems that have plagued him the last years of his life bother him no longer.  He wasn’t outwardly revealing in his religious convictions, but Dad knew that God was his Creator and strength and Jesus was his salvation. 

     Thank you all for coming today, and may God Bless each and every one of you.