Ray Samuel Hoon

Ray Samuel Hoon passed away peacefully Friday, June 15, in Spokane, WA at the age of 101 years old surrounded by his family. Ray was born on Stateline, Oregon, December 28, 1916.

He was proceeded in death by his parents Sam and Bessie Hoon, as well as his brother Henry, sister Pat Mann (101 years young), sister Iris West, and his identical twin Roy. He left his wife Agnes, daughters Eleanor Ann Shelley of Kalispell, Nancy Williams, (husband Earl) of Yakima, sons Mick Hoon (wife Brenda) of Kalispell, Dan of LaJunta Colorado, and Tom of Muleshoe, Texas, and grandchildren; Tim Shelley, (deceased), Tammy Birk, Tara Jacobs (Aaron), Travis Williams (Heather), Dustin Hoon (Erin), Cody Hoon (Shelby), Clint Hoon, Jacob Hoon (Caitlin), Nathan Hoon (Elsa), Megan Hoon, and great grandchildren; Colton, Nicole, Illyhia, and Marshall Birk, Natalie and Paxton Jacobs, Gillian Hoon, Easton, Ely, Noah, and Samson Hoon.

He graduated from McLaughlin High School  (Mac High) in Milton-Freewater Oregon in 1936, which he was always so proud of. He always sang his school fight song to the very last days of his life. In those early years they shared one car and one drivers license and always left it in the car!  During his school years he was a boxer and held the Golden Gloves of Oregon for 2 years in his weight division. Ray and his twin brother, Roy held preliminary bouts before the famous boxers when they came through the area. In later years he was a boxing commissioner in Washington State. During the depression, Ray and Roy did exhibition boxing matches against each other for money. In later years, he teamed up with Roy to create the Hoon’s Aces basketball team.

Ray married Agnes Melsten in Spokane, WA on September 20, 1941. He was very much a baseball man even naming his first son Mickey after Mickey Mantle. Ray got to take a trip with his son to the East coast to see games and visited the baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. He played baseball till he was 50, playing right field and coached little league. Always a Mariner fan, he would spend a week each season going to Seattle to watch the Mariners games and the Tacoma Rainers, even visiting with the players. He enjoyed going to Missoula for the Ospreys and Spokane for the Indians games.

He loved to rodeo and compete in bareback riding. Ray and his wife spent quite a few years going to the N.F.R. in Oklahoma and Las Vegas. In later years he enjoyed P.B.R. because he personally knew some of the cowboys. Ray went through Boy Scouts with his boys and was a regular assisting the Scout Master. He enjoyed bowling and was good at it!!

Ray was an EMT, volunteer firefighter and ambulance driver.  After retiring in Dayton, Washington, in 1979, they moved to Columbia Falls and built a home. Ray went to work for Glacier National Park in maintenance till the age of 86. He loved both the job, his co-workers and his beloved park. Everyone knew Ray Hoon even a bear that left a paw print on his jacket and chased him up on top of a picnic table!

Ray was a farmer and enjoyed his gardening, growing tomatoes and visiting all the local greenhouses.

Visitation will be held on Friday June 22nd, 2018 from 6 to 7 PM; private family viewing will follow from 7 to 8 PM at the funeral home.  A funeral celebrating Ray's life will be held on Saturday June 23rd, 2018 at 11 AM and a luncheon will follow at Darlington Cremation and Burial Services funeral home at 3408 US Hwy 2 East, Kalispell, Montana.  Inurnment will be at a later date at Woodlawn Cemetery in Columbia Falls, Montana.  Baseball attire is encouraged for all events.

Darlington Cremation and Burial Service is caring for Ray's family.

In lieu of flowers please send donations to the Glacier Conservancy, at https://glacier.org/donate or mail to Glacier National Park Conservancy, P.O. Box 2749, Columbia Falls, MT 59912.

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