Obituary of Raymond Douglas Champaigne

Raymond “Ray” or “Murph” Douglas Champaigne, 84, lost his battle with cancer on July 4, 2019 at Prestige Assisted Living Facility in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

Raymond Douglas Champaigne was born in Norwalk, Connecticut, November 19, 1934.  He attended Norwalk High School in Norwalk. He served in the United States Navy from 1954 through 1957. After his discharge, Ray attended college, majoring in Education, and went on to graduate from Central Connecticut State College.  He went onto complete two Master's Degrees in Education, and completed a Sixth Year Degree in Fine Arts. He taught Drafting and Machine Shop at Bunnell High School in Stratford, Connecticut, from 1963 through his retirement in 1992. Ray was very popular with his students and served as an inspiration to many of them.

Ray married Sara Jane Fillow, also of Norwalk, in June of 1962.  Together they had three children. In June of 1977, Ray married Kathleen "Kay" Ashton Prophet, also of Norwalk. Ray and Kay moved to Lake Havasu City, AZ in July of 1996. Ray was an active and artistic man. He enjoyed painting; in particular, painting pictures of people's pets for them. He was particularly proud of completing a Black Belt in Karate at the age of 64. Ray was known for always having a joke or two to tell at any moment.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Kathleen in January 2018.

Ray is survived by three brothers, David, Danny, and Warren, and one-half brother, John. He is also survived by his children, Douglas, of Lake Havasu City, Glen of Ljubljana, Slovenia, and Michele Librandi, of Stamford, Connecticut, and by five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. 

A Memorial Service is scheduled for August 17, 2019 at 1:00 pm. It will be held at the Lietz-Fraze Funeral Home in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

Services were entrusted to the care of Lietz-Fraze Funeral Home. Thoughts and condolences can be sent to the family at www.lietz-frazefuneralhome.com. To send a free card go to www.sendoutcards.com/lietzfraze.