Oct. 18, 1923 – Feb. 3, 2004

Raymond “Ray” G. Strickland, 80, of Boise, died Feb. 3 at St. Luke’s Hospital.

He was born Oct. 18, 1923, in Gardner, Kan., to Henry and Ruth (Green) Kaiser. His parents were divorced and when he was 6. His mother married Wayne Strickland who adopted him into his family of four children.

Strickland was educated in Gardner and graduated in 1941. He served in the United States Navy in 1942-46 in the South Pacific. After his discharge from the Navy, he followed a Navy buddy to John Day, where he worked for Morgan Trucking.

He married Laurel Campbell, who had a 6-year-old daughter, Kathleen. A son, Scott, and a daughter, Valerie, were born into the family. The marriage ended in divorce in 1969.

Morgan Trucking became Idaho Motor Transport and the Strickland family moved with IMT to Portland, Boise, Twin Falls and back to Boise.

In 1973, Mr. Strickland was employed by Consolidated Freightways in Boise and that year he married Zella Mooney, who had two young daughters, Tiffany and Heather. He retired in 1982 and for 11 years worked part-time for T.R. Compton container trucking in Nampa, occasionally delivered vehicles nationwide and until this past December drove for Gem Courier of Boise.

For 30 years he supported his wife, Zella’s, art career by doing the bookkeeping, matting and framing, and set up displays at exhibits and art shows around the Northwest.

He was active in the Lions and Kiwanis clubs and served as president of Idaho Motor Transport and Boise Little Theater. He was stage manager for many theater productions in the 1970s as well as the Miss Boise and Miss Idaho pageants and many Music Week productions. For 30 years he supported the programs and mission of Meridians, Valley Shepherd Church of the Nazarene.

Mr. Strickland is survived by his wife, Zella; son, Dr. Scott Strickland of Portland; daughter, Valerie of Mountainview, CA; stepdaughters and their husbands; Tiffany and Mike Davis of Meridian, Heather and Gary Mingus of Eagle, and Katie and John Beliveau of Lewistown, Maine; six grandchildren; two stepsisters, Dorothy Denoon and Lorena Pearl Klamm both of Olathe, Kan.; stepbrother Marion of Fairfield Bay, Ariz.; and many cousins, nieces and nephews. A stepbrother Roger preceded him in death.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Trinity Pines in care of of Valley Shepherd Church in Meridian or the Boise Rescue Mission.

Funeral services were held Feb. 9 at Valley Shepherd Church of the Nazarene, in Meridian. Arrangements are under the direction of Chapel of the Chimes Funeral Home in Meridian.