Raymond C. Reetz
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Raymond Carl Reetz of York, NE, left his earthly home into the presence of his Lord on May 20, 2021 at the age of 87, in Phoenix, AZ. He was born September 17, 1933 in York, NE to William C. and Anna (Zweibel) Reetz and grew up on a farm with sister, Delores Carlson and brothers, Elvin and Melvin Reetz. On May 30, 1954, he was united in marriage to his high school sweetheart, Shirley Adrienne Schultz.
Raymond enjoyed life to the fullest. One of his well-known hobbies was going to auctions looking for antiques and one-of-a-kind items. Odds are if you were bidding against Ray, he was going to get the bid. He kept all of his treasures in his beloved “toy shop.” In the mornings, you could either find him with a newspaper in hand, working on a crossword puzzle, or down at the restaurant drinking a cup of coffee with a group of friends. If he wasn’t at the restaurant, he was grooming his lawn and tending to his flowerbed.
Raymond was always a gambler whether it was at the casinos or taking a risk in business. After owning the Cozy Lunch for a few years, Raymond and Shirley decided to take their biggest gamble and expand the restaurant. “Chances are we will make it; chances are we will go broke” thus the name Chances “R”. The restaurant was their pride and joy as they worked hard to transform it from a small diner to an elegant full-service restaurant. The couple spent hours building relationships with customers and employees alike. Whether you were a first-time customer or a regular, you were sure to be blessed by their kindness and hospitality.
Raymond and Shirley had a love for adventure. They travelled the world exploring new places and restaurants together. To celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, the entire family enjoyed a memorable trip to Hawaii, so much so that they all returned a few years later. A favorite spot for them was their home away from home, Rockmount Cottages, in Estes Park, CO where they enjoyed a slower pace of life.
Nothing brought Raymond more joy than to spend time with the love of his life, Shirley and the family they built together. He cherished his role as a husband, father and grandfather, never turning down an opportunity to spoil his family. He was very proud of all of his grandkids.
From a small-town farm boy to a multi-business owner, Raymond was a determined, generous, honorable, well respected man who has touched many lives.
Raymond is survived by his three children: Suzanne (Tom) Vanous of York, Sondra (Jeff) Hermanson of Lincoln, NE, and Jason (Holly) Reetz of Estes Park, CO; grandchildren: Collin Reetz and Ryland Reetz of Estes Park, CO, Valerie (Brad) Veen of Chandler, AZ, Melanie (Terry) McWilliams of Lincoln, NE, Ryan (Sianna) Vanous of Raleigh, NC, Timothy (Vanessa) Hermanson of Windsor, CO, Adrianne (Josh) Aksamit of Ballwin, MO, Brianne (Zach) Wentz of Overland Park, KS, Jonathan (Christiana) Hermanson of Omaha, NE, and Carianne (Cole) Hartgerink of Lincoln, NE; great-grandchildren, Evangeline, Scarlett, and Natalia Veen, Eva and Hazel McWilliams, Lena Vanous, Logan, Peyton and Sydnee Aksamit, and Brynlee, Harrison and Raymond Wentz. He is also survived by his brother, Melvin (JoAnn) Reetz of York, sister-in-law, Joan Schultz of Huntington Beach, CA, and brother-in-law Lee (Nancy) Blake of Kansas City, Mo. Along with nieces and nephews and friend, Gina Barrett.
He is preceded in death by his parents, William C. and Anna Reetz; wife, Shirley Reetz; mother and father in-law, Roy and Thelma Schultz; sister, Delores Carlson; brother, Elvin Reetz; sisters in law, Joyce Blake and Venicia Reetz; and brothers in law; Bob Schultz and Edsel Carlson.
Funeral services are scheduled 2:00 p.m., Thursday, June 3, 2021 at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in York, with the Reverends Mike Neidow and Ben Kaiser officiating. Interment will follow at the Greenwood Cemetery in York. Visitation will be held from 1:00 – 8:00 p.m., Wednesday, June 2, 2021 with family greeting friends Wednesday evening from 6:00-8:00pm at the mortuary. Memorials may be directed to Estes Youth Level Up Athletics, Emmanuel Lutheran Church, St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf and York Pride Pack Program.
Raymond’s service will be webcast live on Emmanuel Lutheran Church’s Website at http://www.emmanuelyorkne.com/
Condolences may be emailed to Metz Mortuary Messages will be given to the family.
Raymond enjoyed life to the fullest. One of his well-known hobbies was going to auctions looking for antiques and one-of-a-kind items. Odds are if you were bidding against Ray, he was going to get the bid. He kept all of his treasures in his beloved “toy shop.” In the mornings, you could either find him with a newspaper in hand, working on a crossword puzzle, or down at the restaurant drinking a cup of coffee with a group of friends. If he wasn’t at the restaurant, he was grooming his lawn and tending to his flowerbed.
Raymond was always a gambler whether it was at the casinos or taking a risk in business. After owning the Cozy Lunch for a few years, Raymond and Shirley decided to take their biggest gamble and expand the restaurant. “Chances are we will make it; chances are we will go broke” thus the name Chances “R”. The restaurant was their pride and joy as they worked hard to transform it from a small diner to an elegant full-service restaurant. The couple spent hours building relationships with customers and employees alike. Whether you were a first-time customer or a regular, you were sure to be blessed by their kindness and hospitality.
Raymond and Shirley had a love for adventure. They travelled the world exploring new places and restaurants together. To celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, the entire family enjoyed a memorable trip to Hawaii, so much so that they all returned a few years later. A favorite spot for them was their home away from home, Rockmount Cottages, in Estes Park, CO where they enjoyed a slower pace of life.
Nothing brought Raymond more joy than to spend time with the love of his life, Shirley and the family they built together. He cherished his role as a husband, father and grandfather, never turning down an opportunity to spoil his family. He was very proud of all of his grandkids.
From a small-town farm boy to a multi-business owner, Raymond was a determined, generous, honorable, well respected man who has touched many lives.
Raymond is survived by his three children: Suzanne (Tom) Vanous of York, Sondra (Jeff) Hermanson of Lincoln, NE, and Jason (Holly) Reetz of Estes Park, CO; grandchildren: Collin Reetz and Ryland Reetz of Estes Park, CO, Valerie (Brad) Veen of Chandler, AZ, Melanie (Terry) McWilliams of Lincoln, NE, Ryan (Sianna) Vanous of Raleigh, NC, Timothy (Vanessa) Hermanson of Windsor, CO, Adrianne (Josh) Aksamit of Ballwin, MO, Brianne (Zach) Wentz of Overland Park, KS, Jonathan (Christiana) Hermanson of Omaha, NE, and Carianne (Cole) Hartgerink of Lincoln, NE; great-grandchildren, Evangeline, Scarlett, and Natalia Veen, Eva and Hazel McWilliams, Lena Vanous, Logan, Peyton and Sydnee Aksamit, and Brynlee, Harrison and Raymond Wentz. He is also survived by his brother, Melvin (JoAnn) Reetz of York, sister-in-law, Joan Schultz of Huntington Beach, CA, and brother-in-law Lee (Nancy) Blake of Kansas City, Mo. Along with nieces and nephews and friend, Gina Barrett.
He is preceded in death by his parents, William C. and Anna Reetz; wife, Shirley Reetz; mother and father in-law, Roy and Thelma Schultz; sister, Delores Carlson; brother, Elvin Reetz; sisters in law, Joyce Blake and Venicia Reetz; and brothers in law; Bob Schultz and Edsel Carlson.
Funeral services are scheduled 2:00 p.m., Thursday, June 3, 2021 at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in York, with the Reverends Mike Neidow and Ben Kaiser officiating. Interment will follow at the Greenwood Cemetery in York. Visitation will be held from 1:00 – 8:00 p.m., Wednesday, June 2, 2021 with family greeting friends Wednesday evening from 6:00-8:00pm at the mortuary. Memorials may be directed to Estes Youth Level Up Athletics, Emmanuel Lutheran Church, St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf and York Pride Pack Program.
Raymond’s service will be webcast live on Emmanuel Lutheran Church’s Website at http://www.emmanuelyorkne.com/
Condolences may be emailed to Metz Mortuary Messages will be given to the family.