Raymond E. Kramer, Jr.

RAYMOND "Ray" E. KRAMER, JR., age 90, of Boynton Beach, Florida passed away on Tuesday, August 25, 2026.

Ray was born on May 26, 1936, to Raymond and Althea Kramer in Parma, Ohio where he grew up. He served in the United States Army Signal Corps before matriculating to Miami University in Ohio and then Case Institute of Technology (now Case Western Reserve University) where he was one of the founding members of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity there in 1960. After graduating, he worked as an engineer on the Mercury, Titan, and Gemini Projects, helping design and build the rockets that launched some of the first Americans into space in the 1960's.

He married his wife, Bernice "Bea" Kramer nee Horton in 1961. They spent three years living in California before moving to Glastonbury, Connecticut in 1964, where they started their family. While in Connecticut, Ray earned an MBA from the University of Connecticut and worked for Pratt & Whitney in Hartford. In 1977, Ray and his family moved to their permanent home in South Florida, where he worked at Pratt & Whitney's massive facility on the Beeline Highway in Palm Beach County as part of the team that developed and marketed the F100 jet aircraft engine that was used in the F-14 Tomcat, F-15 Eagle, and F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters. He traveled extensively throughout Europe, South America and the Middle East for the F-100 program.

Ray was an avid reader, mostly science fiction, and was an aficionado of classical music and the opera. He enjoyed personal finance and investing and offered his skills and knowledge as a mentor to younger investors. He was an active member of St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Palm Beach Gardens where he served as an usher. When not in Florida, he vacationed in the mountains of Cashiers, North Carolina with his wife and spent time with his children and grandchildren there. He was a novice wine collector but an experienced freshwater fisherman. He had a sharp wit, a clever sense of humor, and a limerick or college drinking song on the tip of his tongue for any occasion.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Bea, and survived by his children Susan (Bill) Madara of Moorestown, New Jersey, Raymond (Christina) Kramer III of Palm Beach, Florida, and Trish (Wayne) Long of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He leaves behind five grandsons (who all affectionately knew him as "P'pa"): Teddy (Jessica) Kramer, Matthew Madara, Colin Kramer, Jake Long, and Tyler Long.

Ray will be laid to rest beside his wife at North Royalton Cemetery in North Royalton, Ohio.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 3395 Burns Rd., Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410.

Arrangements by Nosek-McCreery Funeral Home (440) 526-6050.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Raymond E. Kramer, Jr., please visit our floral store.