Raymond T. Burns

Raymond T. Burns
July 23, 1925 – October 5, 2023
Palos Verdes Estates, California

Ray was the only child of Raymond James Burns and Jeanne Marie Ainee Racicot of Worcester, Massachusetts. At age 9, he moved with his father and stepmother to Los Angeles, the place he would come to call his home.

Ray attended John Burroughs Junior High, Los Angeles High School, and Naval ROTC at UCLA. During these pre-war years, Ray developed a lifelong thirst for the outdoors with skiing, fishing, and climbing in the San Gabriel and Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Enlisting at 17, Ray served in the U.S Navy during the Pacific campaign of WWII, then in the Korean conflict between 1951 and 1953. He managed to earn his degree from UCLA between these two wars.

In the mid 1950’s, Ray began his career in Real Estate in the Palos Verdes area with one of his early offices being located on Via Corta in Malaga Cove. Ray dedicated the remainder of his professional career to commercial real estate ventures.

In 1958, Ray met and married Beverly Viola Smale of Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

They were married until Beverly’s passing in 2001. Later, Ray would enjoy the companionship of Barbara R. Davis of Palos Verdes until her passing in 2016.

Ray is survived by his three children, Allison, Beth, and Bob, grandchildren Garrett, Taylor, Kelsey and Kendall, and great-grandchildren Tucker, Tristynn, Cardin and Rae.

A celebration of Ray’s life will be held at La Venta Inn located at 796 Via del Monte in Palos Verdes Estates on Friday, November 10, 2023, at 10 a.m.