Raymond Dean Quillen passed peacefully with his family by his side on Monday, October 20th, 2025. Ray was born August 25th, 1938 to Elmo "Butch" and Vella Quillen in Concrete WA. They moved to Sweet Home, OR in 1944 when Ray was 6 years old. Over Christmas in 1948 they visited family in Kennewick WA in the Horse Heavens and were snowed in. After this Butch and Vella decided to move to the area and start dry-land wheat farming. Ray was 10 years old at this time and started attending school in Kennewick where he graduated proudly as "Once a Lion, always a Lion, born and bread to be and die a Lion." Ray graduated in 1957 and went straight into the National Guard in Tacoma where he served. After the National Guard he decided to become a fire fighter and proudly served with the Handford Fire Department for 34 years. He truly cherished the men and women he served with where his highest rank was battalion chief. After retirement he went across the country training firefighters along the way, traveling to Washington DC with the Hanford Fire SCBA trailer under Chief Good with Lynn Adams. This was one of Ray's proudest accomplishments.

Ray married Linda Ziege, the love of his life on May 17th, 1985, in Reno NV. They loved to travel, camp and fish together. Ray owned a lot in Ocean Park where he took family and friends fishing, crabbing, and razor clam digging every August for a whole month. He traveled to Ireland to visit the family's homeland and Dunluce Castle where his ancestors lived. On this trip he made lifelong friends, who later came to visit, and they all made a trip by motor home to Alaska together. He spent the later part of his life in the Lewiston/Clarkston area where his family lived and originated from. In 1892 Ray's grandfather moved the family by wagon, a trip that took 3 days to travel from Lewiston/Clarkston to Kennewick.

The last of his life he spent fishing the Clearwater, golfing with his buddies 3-4 times a week, and going to the casino. The last 5 years he spent fighting with dementia and multiple cancers. He was preceded in death by Butch (father), Vella (mother), Linda (wife), and many dear aunts, uncles, and cousins. He is survived by his son Dan Quillen (Sarah), Grandson Dean Quillen, stepsons Jason Strand (Olya), Joel Ziege, and Mark Ziege.

There will be a funeral to celebrate and honor the life of Ray Quillen at Pasco Church of the Nazarene on Wednesday, November 5th, 2025 at 3 pm. 7305 W. Court St. Pasco, WA 99301