Ray G Jeske

Ray G. Jeske, age 86, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, on May 24, 2019 at his home in Mariposa, Calif.

Ray was born in Chicago, Ill. His younger years were spent in Madison, Wis. where he began his lifetime love of automobiles, planes and trains. He learned to fly a plane and received his pilot’s license before his driver’s license. After high school he moved to Santa Monica where Ray earned his Bachelor’s of Science in aeronautical engineering from Northrop Aeronautical Institute. He served his country, something he was always very proud of, as an Army engineer during the Korean War.

Ray and his family settled down in the Lake Arrowhead Mountains where they loved to snow and water ski. Following his engineering career taking them to several different states, they once again came back to California.

Changing careers, Ray started JESKEhomes, a custom home construction and design company in Newport Beach. On vacation, Ray and Sally visited Mariposa and knew that is where they wanted to retire. For many years he built custom homes throughout the county and upon retiring from the construction side, he continued with custom home designs.

Ray also loved traveling, especially by motor home and helping others in any way possible. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and brother-in-law.

He is survived by his loving and beautiful wife of 62 years, Sarah McKinley Howard Jeske; his four children: Charlotte, David, Keith and Donald; as well as nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

He was a devout Christian and took great comfort in his faith, knowing that he would enter eternal life with God and his Savior, Jesus Christ.

He will be dearly missed by his family and many friends.

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