Raymond Norton Key, of Katy, Texas, passed away peacefully at home, in his sleep, on February 20, 2024, at the age of 103. He is preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Luree Berryman Key, his parents Charlie and Sudie Wright Key, and siblings Alton, Roy, Harold, and Wayne. He is survived by his daughter Susan Jerkins (Gerald) of Memphis,TN and son Greg Key (Carolina) of Katy,Texas; his grandchildren Chris Jerkins, Stephen Jerkins (Amanda), Jonathan Jerkins (Leslie), Michael Jerkins (Jamie), Michelle Key Cousten (Trinity), and 13 great-grandchildren.

Raymond was born in a farmhouse in Town Creek, Alabama, on December 6, 1920. When he was 6 years old, he had polio and malaria at the same time. During this illness he overheard the doctor tell his parents he probably wouldn't survive. He not only survived but he went on to graduate from Hazelwood High School as valedictorian and then followed in his brother Roy’s footsteps onto David Lipscomb College in Nashville, TN, and in 1940, onto George Pepperdine College in California. There, he majored in English with plans to become a preacher. Upon graduation, he returned home to Town Creek where he met his wife Luree, who worked as a cashier at his uncle’s grocery store. They married in Town Creek; not too long after, at the prompting of friend B.C. Goodpasture, they moved to Battle Creek, Michigan, to help plant a church in that community. It was during the 21 years in Battle Creek that Raymond raised his family, left paid ministry, and began work for a construction company, where he became a construction project manager. The experience in managing large projects eventually provided opportunities to manage international projects, taking him and Luree abroad to Lahore, Pakistan for four years and in Semarang, Indonesia for twelve years. During the years abroad, he and Luree were active in local churches and made close friendships with people of many faiths and nationalities. After retiring and returning to the US, he was hired as a project management consultant in New York State.

He was also a member of the American Arbitration Association and was involved in settling financial disputes between construction companies and government agencies. In November 1988 he retired for the final time and he and Luree settled in Katy, Texas, at the insistence of Luree, who fell in love with the area and its long gardening season.

Everyone who knew Raymond knew that he was a deeply spiritual man of God first and foremost, and one who cared greatly about people. In Katy, he continued to be involved with the work of the church. He was consistently a resource for people in need of prayer, mentoring and being humbled in a game of chess. He and Luree loved children and enjoyed being the ‘neighborhood grandparents’. After relocating to Katy, Raymond became a faithful volunteer at local schools where he tutored struggling students, raised butterflies, and taught the joys of chess.
Raymond was not only a devoted student of the Bible but loved to write about scriptures and bible themes. For more than 20 years he shared devotional thoughts, Bible lessons, inspirational messages, humorous stories, and jokes to his friends by email. These were shared and over time, his list included nearly a hundred email addresses that included people all over the US and around the world.
Raymond was a remarkable man and blessed those who knew him.
There will be a memorial service at the Cinco Ranch Church of Christ in Katy, Texas, Sunday March 10 at 2pm.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Cinco Ranch Church of Christ or charity of your choice.