Ray E Heikes, formerly of Sierra Vista, Arizona, entered the loving arms of his savior on September 10, 2020. He was greeted in heaven by his mate for life, his wife, Tracy Mildred Heikes, who he married on June 18, 1944; his parents, Ralph Lyman and Lillie Isabel Daniels-Heikes; his sisters, Hazel Ruth Wright and Leona May Heikes, his brother, Richard William Heikes; and his granddaughter, Cindy Leigh Hughes, who preceded him in death.
Ray is survived by two sisters, Evelyn June Mugler of Wakefield, Kansas and Marilyn Jean Martin of Clay Center, Kansas and by three children:
Tracy Maudene White of Tyler, Texas
James Ray Heikes of Flint, Texas
Rebekah Jo Schear of Flint, Texas,
two sons-in-law; 1 (one) daughter-in-law; 6 (six) grandchildren; 12 (twelve) great grandchildren and 4 (four) great, great grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
Ray E Heikes was born June 9, 1924 in Wakefield, Kansas. He was a graduate of Clay County Community High School in Clay Center, Kansas. After high school, Ray joined the Army Air Corp. He wanted to be a tail gunner in the military service, but when the army found out what a terrific trombone player he was, he was assigned to the Adjutant General’s office and spent over a year in Europe entertaining the troops and military top brass.
After 3 ½ years of military service and an honorable discharge, Ray entered Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas where he studied and obtained a degree in Electronic Engineering.
After a two-year employment with Collins Radio in Cedar Rapids Iowa Ray went to work as a civilian Electronic Engineer at the Fort Huachuca Electronic Proving Ground in Sierra Vista, Arizona. Ray worked on designing and testing military communications equipment, the first military drone systems, satellite systems for military communications in Europe, and was well known for designing and testing the communications system for the Apache Helicopter. It was well-known at Fort Huachuca that if you needed to show a complicated piece of equipment to the top military brass, call Ray Heikes because he could figure it out and make it work. Ray spent another 15 (fifteen) months working for a different branch of the military developing communication systems for (NORAD) North American Aerospace Defense Command in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
After his civil service retirement from Fort Huachuca Electronic Proving Ground in 1980, Ray worked for as an Electronic Engineer for TEXTRON (Bell Technical Corporation) for six years.
In his retirement, Ray worked as a ham radio operator (W7BLR) and was active in coordinating rescue operations and helping to find survivors families after the Mount St Helens disaster in 1982. Ray was a member of the Arizona Professional Electronic Engineers for the State of Arizona.
Ray and his wife, Tracy Heikes, moved to Flint, Texas in 2007 to be closer to their children. Ray was known for his kind, loving spirit and loyalty to family and friends. He was a member of First Assembly of God in Sierra Vista, Arizona for many years. Ray was gifted musically and taught his children how to harmonize and sing together. He served our country, his family, his friends and his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.