Ray Thomas Fassett

    Surrounded by his family, Port Washington resident Ray Thomas Fassett, age 82, passed away peacefully on Dec. 15, 2021.  
    He was born in Bellingham, Wash., on Sept. 20, 1939, to Ray W. and Pearl (Alderson) Fassett, the oldest of two children.
    One of Ray’s fondest childhood memories was riding his Grandfather Alderson’s John Deere tractor on the family farm in the shadows of Mount Baker, Wash.  
    Ray’s father was a cartographer for the U.S. Forest Service, and his job took the family from Washington to Virginia and finally to Wisconsin, where Ray graduated from Whitefish Bay High School with the Class of 1957.  
    Ray was united in marriage with Margaret “Maggie” Mary Schuknecht on Oct. 20, 1965. The couple made their home in Port Washington.
     Ray made a living in sales, selling everything from coffee to ketchup to cars, but the best job ever was the 35 years he spent in the Air Force Air National Guard as a boom operator on KC-97s and later the KC-135Rs. Ray looked forward to Thursday nights when he would head down to the 128th Air Refueling Wing, board a KC-135R and take off for somewhere over the United States, where he would refuel an F-16, a C-5 Galaxy and anything in between, all while flying at 500 mph.
    His 35 years of military service took him to Guam, Egypt, Germany, Spain and many other places around the globe. He spoke so highly of it, two daughters, two nieces and a nephew followed Ray into the 128th Air Refueling Wing.
    His greatest joy in life was spending time with his family. After a prolonged wait for grandchildren, which he often ribbed his daughters about, he was blessed with his first three grandchildren all in the span of only nine weeks.  
    Ray loved Corvettes and was the proud owner of a ’62 and ’66.  He attended the Indianapolis 500 to watch his favorite driver A.J. Foyt.  
    Ray also enjoyed the ocean and took several trips to the beach with his daughters and grandchildren.  
     Ray is survived by Maggie Fassett; his daughters Bridget (Jeffrey) Chase, Monique (Steve) Halleen, Jennifer (Sean) Smith and Colleen (James) Watters; grandchildren Reagan, London and Riley Chase, Tessa, Reyna and Sienna Halleen and Dylan, Olivia and Claire Watters; his brother Larry (Sandy) Fassett; sisters-in-law Eileen (Carl) Huber, Mary Kathryn Schuknecht and Joan (John) Nicholas; brothers-in-law Charles (Bonnie) Schuknecht and Fred (Randi) Schuknecht; numerous nieces and nephews; other family members; and friends.  
    Ray was preceded in death by his parents and sister-in-law Jane Lyne.
    Private family services will be held.
    In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.
    Church and Chapel Funeral Service of Brookfield is handling the arrangements.