Obituary of Ray Allen Yeackley

Ray Yeackley, age 70, went to be with Jesus on June 24, 2017 surrounded by his loving family while listening to his favorite hymns.He is survived by his wife, Jean (Tekippe) Yeackley; two daughters, Karla (Darin) Harper of Texas, and Lisa (Eric) Lemmon of Missouri; seven grandchildren, Mariela and Liliana Harper, and Ryan, Lindsey, Kate, Lucy, and Nolan Lemmon; brother, Roger (Janet) Yeackley of Aurora; sister, Verla (Neil) Hartzler of Colorado Springs; and sister, Loree (Charlie) King of Aurora.Ray was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and Evelyn Yeackley of Colorado Springs.Ray was a man after God's heart and served God, his family, friends, and church faithfully. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend to many. He was very involved at First Baptist Church Black Forest, where he enjoyed running the sound/video system and serving on the property committee.Ray was born on May 14, 1947 in Milford, Nebraska to the late Raymond and Evelyn (Miller) Yeackley. Ray had many fun adventures growing up on a farm in Milford before his family moved to Colorado Springs when he was eight years old. He spent the remainder of his happy childhood in the Springs.Ray married Jean, his loving wife of twenty-seven years, on May 12, 1990, in Barrington, Illinois. He was an electrical controls engineer at Signode/ITW for thirty-four years until his retirement in 2003. Ray received a U.S. Patent in 1995 for his electrical design. Ray and Jean spent his working years living in suburban Chicago. After retirement, they moved to Colorado Springs to be close to Ray's late mom and siblings. They loved spending time with his family and enjoyed the beautiful mountain scenery. Ray also did consultant work for ITW for eleven years. This allowed him the freedom to continue to do the work he enjoyed, while also doing other things he loved, like visiting his kids and grandkids, traveling, and volunteering at church.Ray loved the Lord with all his heart, mind, and soul. He loved the church, but he knew the most important thing was to have a relationship with his Heavenly Father. He knew God had a perfect plan for his life. When cancer invaded his body, he continued to trust God completely. He said whenever the Lord called him home, he would be ready to go. He truly felt blessed by God in spite of the cancer. Just as the words of an old hymn say, "Many things about tomorrow I don't seem to understand, but I know Who holds tomorrow, and I know Who holds my hand."A Celebration of Life will be held, 10:30AM, Saturday, July 8, 2017 at First Baptist Church Black Forest, 10915 Black Forest Road, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80908.If you would like to make a donation in memory of Ray, his two favorite ministries are: Reaching Indians Ministries International (RIMI.org) and Springs Rescue Mission (SpringsRescueMission.org). Events Service Saturday, July 8, 2017 10:30AM First Baptist Church of Black Forest 10915 Black Forest Road Colorado Springs, , CO 80908 Phone: 719-495-4185