Raymond E. Vande Water, Jr. was born in Worthington, Ohio on July 22, 1945 and passed peacefully at home in Westerville, Ohio on May 2, 2020 surrounded by his loving family. "Buster" is survived by his wife of 53 years Linda S. Vande Water; sons, Timothy J. Vande Water (Terri Rife Butler - Fiancée), Dean J. (Cynthia) Vande Water; daughter, Lori A. Vande Water (Rick Krieger - Fiancée); grandsons, Cortland, Daniel, Tyler, Drew and Kyle Vande Water; granddaughter Taylore Bundy; sisters, Judy Cottingham and Mary Vande Water; brother and sister in-laws, cousins, nieces, nephews; and his feline friend - Abby. Mr. Vande Water is predeceased by his parents Raymond E. Vande Water, Sr. and Annice (Berendsohn) Vande Water.
"Buster" graduated from Marion Harding High School in 1963 and then attended Kent State University and Muskingum College. Ray appreciated the disciplines he developed while participating in sports at a young age. His daily dedication and hard work propelled him to be the runner up in the State wrestling tournament 3 consecutive years.
Early in his life Buster spent a year in California working as a public relations agent, during which time he was able to observe the lifestyle and choices made by many individuals. Through those observations, he solidified the values he was taught by his mother growing up in the Midwest. Those values combined with his experiences became the foundation on how Ray would live his life and how he would prioritize his decisions. This provided Ray with the groundwork to be successful throughout all aspects of life; a trait which he passed on to his children.
Work was a passion of Ray's, but not for the material rewards. Whether it was teaching physically challenged children to swim when he was a teenager, or mentoring highly educated individuals throughout his long banking career, Ray was able to motivate those he interacted with to be the best they could be with each of their God given talents. Ray spent the last 20 years of his career building the Tax Related Products Group for Bank One/JP Morgan Chase, but what Ray cherished most was the personal relationships he accumulated along the way. Ray truly cared about all those he worked with and placed their successes above his own.
Throughout life he was an avid sports fan and enjoyed watching the Cleveland Indians, Cleveland Browns, Columbus Blue Jackets and The Ohio State Buckeyes. A member of The Lakes Golf and Country Club he very much enjoyed spending time on the golf course with his wife Linda. Possibly the highlight of his golf career was when he had the opportunity to play a round of golf at Heavens Golf Course on Earth … Augusta National.
Throughout his life he was a successful businessman, however his joy was in being a devoted husband, father and son. He took great pride in watching his children grow into successful adults and sharing his life experiences with his grandchildren.
No matter how you knew him - Buster, Ray, Dad, Grandpa, business associate or friend, he will be missed by all.
There will be a public visitation at Schoedinger Worthington Chapel, 6699 N. High Street, Worthington, Ohio, 43085 on Tuesday May 12, 2020 from 2PM-5PM. The family will hold a private funeral service.
The family wishes to extend a special thanks to Capital City Hospice as well as the comfort and personal care Barbie and Pam provided for Buster and his family during his final week. Having them in our home during this time was a blessing. Hugs from Miss Linda to all of you.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial contribution to one of the foundations listed below in the memory of Raymond E. Vande Water.
· Ohio Health Fore Hope - adaptive golf for those with physical limitations resulting from neurological conditions.
o <https://foundation.ohiohealth.com/fore-hope>;
· CurePSP - leading resource for research, healthcare, patients, and families on prime of life neurodegeneration conditions including Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP).
o <https://www.psp.org/donate>;
To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Raymond Vande Water Jr. please visit our Sympathy Store. https://www.schoedinger.com/obituaries/Raymond-Vande-Water/#!/Obituary
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Jay Leslie Walker
I was a kid in the neigborhood where Ray and I grew up. There was a barren lot about 30 yeards wide between two alleys where a gang of us would gather to play baseballl or touch football. I would guess we did this through ages 7-11. I was the Little Racal that looked up to the bigger "Buster." Ray could have clobbered my ass at any time. He never did. Ray was a good guy. Jay
Rebecca Jane Krebs (Jergesen)
Buster sat in front of me in "home room" at Eber Baker Junior High. He was the source of many jokes, fun facts and just a general great guy!