Raymond (“Ray”) was born on a farm in Wyandot County near McCutchenville , Ohio on August 14th, 1924, to Charles C. and Mary E. (Kummerer) Hoepf. He was the youngest of 11 children.
He attended Our Lady of Consolation Elementary School and graduated from McCutchenville High School in 1942. Mr. Hoepf was a veteran of WWII, having served aboard the US Navy Ship LST-42 in the South Pacific Theater, including Saipan, Tinian, and Iwo Jima, where he witnessed the raising of the US Flag on Mt. Suribachi. He was honorably discharged in 1946, and afterward attended Tiffin Business University.
On June 24th, 1950, Ray married Micheline L. Dariano at St. Mary’s Church in Tiffin, Ohio. He had a 28-year career with Sears Chicago Catalog Group as District Manager of Catalog Stores throughout Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Kentucky. Upon his retirement from Sears Corporate in 1980 he became the independent owner of the Sears Catalog Store in Bowling Green, Ohio, and retired in 1992.
Ray loved sports and was captain of the 1942 Wyandotte County Champion McCutchenville High School basketball team. As an avid golfer (with three holes-in-one), he hoped to score a 90 on his 90th birthday but missed by one stroke with a 91.
Ray was a charter member of Sacred Heart Church in Fremont, Ohio, and since 1980, a 43-year member of St. Aloysius Church in Bowling Green, where he served as usher and SVDP volunteer. His many memberships included the Cursillo Movement, the Wood County Historical Society, American Legion Post 45, VFW Post 1148 (Honorary) and the Elks Club for over 70 years.
Survived by children Timothy M., Bowling Green; Terence R. (Charmagne), New Rochester; Toni Marie, Columbus; Thomas F., Chicago; Todd R. (Julie), McClure. Grandchildren: Lauren (Jay) Threet, Michael (Kathleen) Hoepf, Benjamin, Madeline, Leigh, Chase, Garrett and Hunter Hoepf. Great grandchildren: Gemma and Jude Threet, and Leo Pina Hoepf. Sisters-in-law: Jeanette Hoepf and Helen Gaietto of Tiffin. Brothers-in-law: Frank (Rita) Dariano also of Tiffin, and many loving nieces and nephews.
Preceded by brothers and spouses-in-law: Leo (Eulalia), Clarence (Lucille), Urban (Dorothy), Linus, Bernard (Julie), Harold (Rose). Sisters and spouses-in-law: Matilda (Virgil) Gase, Frances (Armond) Gase and (George) Houk, Eulalia (Fred) Kohmann, Martha (Roy) Miller.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be given to St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital, St. Aloysius Catholic Church or Bridge Hospice Care Center in Bowling Green, Ohio.
Visitation will be held on Sunday September 24, 2023, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Dunn Funeral Home, located in the Historical District of Bowling Green at 408 W. Wooster St. Full Military honors will be rendered Sunday at the funeral home at 5:00 p.m. by the Wood County Honor Detail. An additional visitation period will be held at the funeral home Monday September 25, 2023, from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday September 25, 2023, 11:00 a.m. at St. Aloysius Catholic Church, 150 S. Enterprise St. Bowling Green, Ohio 43402. Interment will follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Tiffin, Ohio.
To share an online condolence or fond memory with the Hoepf family please visit www.dunnfuneralhome.com.
