Raymond Morales

Raymond "Ray" Morales was born on August 18, 1935 in Detroit MI to Mexican immigrants Rafael and Antonia Morales. While he was one of seven surviving children he was, one of 17 children overall. Ray was the loving husband of 60 years to Mercedes Tejeda (deceased) and the supportive father of Raymond Peter (deceased), Ralph (Kathi) and Gabriel (Cristina). He was also the loving and doting grandfather of Marisa Evans (Jason), William, Nathan (Reve) and Alina Chapman-Morales (Bobby) and great-grandfather to Dominick and Enoch. Raymond was a very proud United States Army Veteran and often spoke of his time stationed in Aberdeen, MD and Fort Carson, CO. Some of the adventures included hiking Pikes Peak, fishing at the Chesapeake and taking leave to explore and enjoy NYC. Letters, postcards and souvenirs, such as bracelets and lockets, from his travels were sent to Machie, the woman who would become his future wife. People describe Ray and Machie as a married couple whose lives are so intertwined as they knew each other since they were 8 years old. It was at that very young age that Ray exclaimed to Machie, "I'm going to marry you one day." When Ray completed his military service, he returned to Detroit where he had several jobs over the years--eventually serving an eight-year apprenticeship in the printing industry and he became a Journeyman Printing Pressman. His career in the commercial printing trade was very satisfying where he spent 40+ years operating printing presses. During that time he saw the advances of the printing trade from hand-set type to an industry of computers and high-speed mechanization. He had a keen eye for color matching and mixing inks for multitudes of jobs and because of his skill he was often given difficult printing runs involving metallic inks, high gloss papers and uncooperative varnishes. By the time he retired from printing at the age of 68, he was running a computerized six color press, scaling scaffolding to check his printing calibrations and color consistency. Ray was a member of the trade union and he always supported his brother printers at striking printing shops by walking the picket line, handing out pamphlets on the issues of the strikes, or recruiting his wife to make food for the protesters. In his spare time, Ray enjoyed various leisure activities. He enjoyed going to the thoroughbred horse races, attending Tiger baseball games, participating in a bowling league, and gambling at the casinos in Detroit and elsewhere. He got pleasure from watching his granddaughter Marisa ice skate and swim, his grandsons Bill and Nathan play football and his granddaughter Alina playing soccer. He was very proud to have attended all four of their college graduations. At home he watched the Detroit Lions play through good and bad seasons, and Red Wings hockey through mostly good seasons. His entire life he was an avid boxing fan-- as a younger man he would spar at the local Detroit boxing clubs and at one point he was a Golden Gloves boxer. Additionally, while in the Army he boxed and was a member of the Judo and pistol teams. His boxing prowess served him well throughout his life, whether settling an issue outside of the Lucky Clover Bar on Michigan Avenue in Detroit or on a senior citizen bus trip to a casino in northern Michigan when a tour participant chided him to the point that Ray took down the six feet plus man. Ray also looked forward to the times he spent with cherished childhood friends when they enjoyed the retelling of stories from their childhood and youth while living in Corktown. Ray had plans to surprise those friends with an invitation to his new apartment he had leased starting in April of 2018. The Morales family was a party family that derived lots of pleasure from being with each other. When Ray got together with his siblings Rita, Ralph, Elvira, Beatrice and Martha, it was a time of food, drink, dancing and endless hours of family stories. At any dance, Ray and Machie were often the most elegant and smooth dancers on the dancefloor. Ray was a devoted father to Ralph and Gabriel and was often seen teaching them the correct way to throw and catch a baseball, toss a football to get the perfect spiral, help them with homework, or on various art projects. To his wife 60 years, Mercedes, he was the constant companion and friend and in the end a loving caregiver. During the two years of Machie's battle with pancreatic cancer, he was by her side trying to make her as comfortable as possible. Ray will be missed by all of his family and friends, but he is now joining his beloved Machie and they are again enjoying a jitter bug or swing or cha cha or ranchera dances. Rest in Peace Ray, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle and friend. Click on the multimedia tab to view Raymond's video tribute.