Raymond Joseph Debalski, Class of
1961, passed away Friday, January 28. He is survived by his wife, Bonnie Louise
Efaw Debalski, Class of 1964.
His parents were Walter Debalski, Sr.
and Anna Koloskie Debalski.
Raymond and Bonnie lived
on Shenasky Drive in Monongah. The most famous resident on Shenasky Drive is
Amelia Shenasky Zentz, 101-year-old daughter of long-ago Shenasky Grocery
owners Pete and Nell Shenasky and widow of Bruce Zentz.
Raymond’s father regularly
walked on the sidewalk next to Camden Avenue (U.S. 19) and past the Olesky home
on Church Street and stopped and chatted with my parents.
Dan Ross, a Fairmont State graduate in civil engineering, recalls:
“When I first started in the mines at Loveridge, I worked
with Raymond in the engineering department. He was easy to work with and had Studied Civil Engineering at Fairmont State University.
“Such
a great work ethic. Rest easy, my friend.”
Dan is
married to Joyce and lives in Columbia, South Carolina. They left Fairmont in
2016 for warmer weather.
He
has a mountain bike . . . for the beaches of South Carolina? Well, he did use
it a lot when he was in Fairmont with his biker buddies. Dan also plays a mean
guitar. And has owned 9 Subaru autos.
Mike Ross and Jennifer Ross Wiggins are his children. Kenny Ross was Dan’s father. Beverly and Sandy are his sisters.
Siblings
Walter Debalski Jr., Class of 1945, Robert Debalski, Edward Debalski, Class of
1948 who played football for Monongah High, was a Marine war hero and passed
away in 2021, and Rose Debalski, his
daughter Jennifer Stottlemire and his grandson Andrew Birdsell all
predeceased Raymond.
In 2021 Barrackville High
grad Helen Kaznoski Debalski, the “Nutroll Lady,” passed away. Her husband, Walter
Debalski, Jr., Class of 1945, passed away before Helen did.
Raymond was in the
Projectors Club, which handled the images and videos on the screen at Monongah
High auditorium events.
Beverly
Debalski Craig, Class of 1971, Patricia Batiste Debalski, Class of 1958, and
Helen “Boots” Debalski, sister of Martha Jean Kaznoski Shipco, a 1945 Barrackville High grad who
married Raymond Shipco, are not listed in the obituary so they might be related to
Raymond Debalski by blood or marriage.
Raymond’s obituary:
Raymond Joseph Debalski, passed
away Friday, January 28, 2022. He was born May 15, 1943 to the late
Walter Debalski Sr. and Anna Koloskie.
Raymond was a lifelong resident of
Monongah, WV. He loved hunting, fishing and farming. He loved
raising cattle and horses, and especially loved breeding horses. Raymond loved
to travel his beloved West Virginia mountains.
Raymond served in United States
Marine Corp, achieving the rank of Sargent and was a decorated Vietnam Veteran.
Raymond was a rifle and pistol expert; he was awarded 2 bronze stars for his
service in Vietnam and received many other military medals and
commendations. Raymond was a member of the Marion Country Veterans
Council, Marion County Honor Guard and Marine Corp League.
In addition to his parents,
Raymond is preceded in death by his brothers, Walter Debalski Jr., Robert
Debalski, and Edward Debalski and his sister, Rose Debalski, a daughter
Jennifer Stottlemire, and a grandson Andrew Birdsell.
Raymond is survived by wife,
Bonnie Debalski, children, Tina Kincel, Jeffrey Debalski, Valeri Stottlemire
and Mark Stottlemire & wife Tracy, and his grandson, Nicholas Rayburn and
granddaughter, Brianna Debalski.
The family will receive friends at
Domico Funeral Home on Tuesday, February 1, 2022 at 10:30 am with funeral
services at 11:30 am with Father Vincent Joseph officiating and interment will
follow at the West Virginia National Cemetery at Grafton at 1:00 pm.
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