Raymond "Ray" Lashley
Marriages
Joan
Burial Details
Obituaries
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 7B Obituary - June 7, 2017
Raymond "Ray" Lashley
August 1, 1923 - May 29, 2017
Raymond "Ray" Lashley, noted engineer, inventor, politician,
cowboy poet and author, husband, father, grandfather, and greatgrandfather died on May 29th, 2017 in Grand Junction, Colorado.
He also raised his beloved Appaloosa horses for over 45
years on his farms in Utah and Grand Junction.
He is survived by his wife of over 55 years, Joan; daughter,
Lyn (Tom) Mars of Pennsylvania; daughter, Mary Etta (Joseph)
Lorenzana of California; son, John Titsworth of Colorado; sisters, Lily Price and Violet Coffey of Missouri; grandchildren,
Kolt Loughran, Blake Loughran, Dalton Titsworth and Kaitlin
Titsworth Huelskamp, and great-grandchildren, Kane, Katie,
Nathanial, and Chase.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Arthur R. and Nancy
Rich Lashley; brothers, Amos, Victor and Vernon, and sisters,
Elyeen, Fern, Vesta and Glena.
Mr. Lashley grew up in Des Arc, Missouri on a farm in the Missouri Ozarks. His first paying job, at the age of eight, was driving a four-horse team for thirty five cents a day. He went on his first of many trail drives at the age of 14. Soon after the beginning of WWII (at the age of 18) Mr. Lashley joined the US Navy and served for the duration of the war. Earning many medals and battle citations in both the Atlantic and Pacific campaigns, he left the service in 1947.
Following the war he became an engineer, specializing in instrumentation and weaponry testing, often working on classified weapons systems at the Naval Missile Center in California and the Deseret Test Center in Utah. He held numerous patents for his inventions including one for an early rotary drive motor and a high speed rail system that drew national attention during the search for a US based “bullet” train. His system operated at
speeds exceeding 200 miles an hour but government fervor fell
off due to the massive infrastructure investments needed in any
new rail system.
Dad maintained an active interest in politics and the affairs of
his community, state and nation. He was an ardent “letter to the
editor” submitter to many local, regional and national publications.
He was not content just to “write” about politics, so he
served as Co-Chairman of the Colorado Reform Party in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Besides his family and his Appaloosas his greatest love was being a Cowboy Poet and published author. Even back on the farm in Missouri he was known and recognized for his ability to memorize and recite poetry. His first recognition as a Cowboy Poet came during a 1983 Chief Joseph Trail ride where he recited poetry around the camp fire for his fellow riders. Word of mouth of his abilities led to his invitation to participate in the first National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada in 1985. That first year drew a few hundred people. Today it is the largest
Cowboy Poetry event which draws thousands to it every year.
Dad participated in most of the National Gatherings and was an
invited performer for the 25th anniversary celebration. He briefly
considered becoming a professional Cowboy Poet but had
just retired after 40 years of military and government service
and decided to continue reciting just for the love and fun of it.
Still, he accepted many professional engagements, performing
at numerous Poetry Gatherings in most of the states west of the
Mississippi and a few east of it. He published several books and
made several CD recordings of his original Cowboy Poetry. Until his health began to decline he could perform over three hours of his own and other’s poetry from memory.
A graveside service will be held for family and friends in Des
Arc, Missouri in the near future as he is laid to rest near his boyhood home in the family plot surrounded by his parents and
siblings.
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 3 D In Memoriam - June 25, 2017
Raymond Lashley
August 1, 1923 - May 29, 2017
The children of Raymond Lashley invites family and friends to a Celebration of Life on Saturday, July 1, 2017, at 11:00 a.m.
The celebration will be held at Martin Mortuary, 550 North Avenue, Grand Junction, CO. There will be a basket of memories collected prior to the celebration containing written remembrances and personal memories of
Ray. If you have a special memory or story about Ray that you
would like included please forward a card or note to Martin
Mortuary and include "Lashley Memories" on the envelope.
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 7 B In Memoriam - June 28, 2017
