Remembering Ray Western

Raymond "Ray" Western, a longtime resident of Presbyterian Homes Lake Forest Place, passed away on February 5, 2019, after a brief battle with cancer.

Presbyterian Homes Lake Forest Place lost a "ray" of sunshine last year with the death of a longtime resident, consummate friend, gentleman and volunteer.

Raymond "Ray" Western died on February 5, 2019, following a brief battle with cancer. Ray was everyone's friend and a pillar of the Lake Forest Place community.

His short battle with cancer meant that many residents and staff who knew and loved Ray did not have the opportunity to say goodbye—a fact that actually may have been a relief to Ray, since he would have most likely preferred for people to remember him as the friendly, outgoing person he was, rather than for the struggle he experienced near the end of his life.

During his term as Chair of the Lake Forest Place Resident Council, Ray worked to improve awareness and messaging of the Geneva Foundation, the Presbyterian Homes charitable mission and opportunities for funding on the Lake Forest Place campus. Ray provided constructive ideas and volunteered to help see them through to fruition. Together with his wife, Wilma, they spent countless hours playing cards with former neighbors who moved to a different level of living, volunteering their time to raise money for scholarships and worked on other various campus endeavors. And, when something was broken, Ray could fix just about anything.

Ray and Wilma shared a lifetime together—63 years. The entire Lake Forest Place community was shocked when they learned the news of Ray's passing. Our hearts went out to Wilma, their daughters and grandchildren as they faced this loss, and to all the people who knew and loved Ray. He would be sadly missed and fondly remembered.

Wilma and her children asked friends and family to contribute memorial gifts to the Geneva Foundation for the benefit of the Lake Forest Place Fellowship Fund. And contribute they did. He was well loved, and his friends and family were generous with their financial blessings but also their kind words remembering their friend. The Lake Forest Place Fellowship Fund was helped greatly with Ray's memorials. All the donations will be used to assist when Lake Forest Place residents face devastating financial peril. Ray would be pleased to know his friends made such a difference.

Like Ray's family, you too can designate memorials to the Geneva Foundation. Take the chance to honor a loved one with a special tribute or to celebrate a special milestone. You can add a tribute to any gift given to the Geneva Foundation. A special notification is given to the family of the deceased which notifies them of your kindness. A separate card is given to an honoree when the gift is given in their honor.

Honor a Loved One

Don't miss a chance like this to make a difference. Call Lisa M. Schiro, CFRE at (847) 979-3922 or lschiro@presbyterianhomes.org to make a gift or if you have any questions.