Raymond Becker

Raymond Charles Becker, 84, peacefully finished a life fully lived on July 25, 2026, with his family nearby. 

Mass of Christian Burial will be Wednesday, July 29, 2026, at 10 AM at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Purcell, Kansas, with a reception to follow. A parish rosary will be on Tuesday, July 28 at 6 PM with visitation to follow until 8 PM at the Arensberg-Pruett Funeral Home. He will be laid to rest at St. Mary’s Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to St. Benedict’s Abbey or the St. Mary’s Cemetery and may be left in care of the funeral home. 

Born Sept. 4, 1941, in Axtell, Kansas, to the late Esther and Henry Becker, Raymond attended Saint Mary's Grade School, Everest Rural High School, St. Benedict's College and Hardin Simmons University in Abilene, Texas, before being commissioned in the U.S. Air Force. 

Raymond married Mary Jo Normile in 1963 and embarked on a 28-year military career, which included eight years of active duty with the Strategic Air Command and 20 years as a navigator in the Missouri Air National Guard. 

Retiring in 1991 after Operation Desert Storm, Raymond continued his farming career in Northeast Kansas and also worked as a financial planner for First Command Financial in Leavenworth and Caudle Financial Services in Atchison. 

Raymond savored family traditions - fish frys, hunting trips with friends, his sons, and his dogs, holiday gatherings, trips to Kauffman Stadium, and Benedictine College football games in the fall. He cherished time with his 11 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren as much as possible. 

Raymond is survived by his loving wife, Mary Jo, and their four sons: David (Gail), Mike (Marci), Timothy (Kelli), and Patrick (Cathy); his brothers John, Myron, Bob, and Tom; and his grandchildren Micaela, Rachel, Caroline, Garrett, Reagan, Austin, Brock, Conner, Grace, Carson, and Devin. 

He was preceded in death by his parents, Esther and Henry; brothers Emmet, Paul, Leo, and Joe; and sisters Frieda Stovell and Alice Keller.