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Raymond “Ray” R. Hook

Published May 14,2020

Obituary's Biography:

Raymond “Ray” Russell Hook, age 62, of Lake Villa, IL, passed into his eternal life with Jesus after a courageous battle with cancer on Wednesday, May 13, 2020, at home surrounded by his family.

Ray was born August 21, 1957 in Libertyville, IL to William and Delores (Vanderspool) Hook.  He grew up and attended school in Grayslake, IL.  He married Elizabeth Berg on November 18, 1988 in Indian Creek, IL.  Throughout his career he worked at F&M Autoparts, Prototype Racing Engines, EH Wachs, ITW, Pure Technologies, Newman Wachs Racing and Xylem Water Solutions.  He became of member through adult confirmation of Faith Ev. Lutheran Church in Antioch, IL where he served as an usher. 

Ray would have loved to have you over in his impeccably clean and fully decorated garage for a cold drink and to tinker around on projects. You’d spend time learning things like: there is literally nothing that cannot be rebuilt or restored by him; a little elbow grease goes a long way; never miss an event of your kids- because Ray sure wouldn’t and was his daughters’ biggest fan (he was also the proudest pageant/dance/cheer dad in Lake County- and those lucky enough to see his dance moves and costume sewing skills would attest to that); great cooking requires use of every pan in the kitchen; if you’re going to do something- you better do it right and make it perfect; you can never work too many hours in the day- especially if it’s doing something you love; before you take your Harley on a ride with him- you better wax and clean it because his will be; and almost every motorized vehicle could be made a little faster and louder once Ray worked on it. What you’d probably learn the most from your time in the garage with him was not what he said (as we all know he was a man of few words- unless he was telling a story), but rather what he did. You’d witness something fierce about hard work, integrity, and never giving up. You’d witness what selfless love, loyalty and forgiveness look like. You’d quickly learn to never complain about anything, because no matter if Ray was injured or just went through days of chemo and radiation, he never would. You’d learn there is no project or task of a family or friend that you won’t roll up your sleeve to help with in a moment’s notice.  You’d learn what it means to be an amazing father, husband, mentor and friend.

Ray is survived by his loving wife of 31 years, Elizabeth; daughters Aubreyanne (Ryan) Pollesch of Ripon, WI and Alicia Hook of Cedarburg, WI; sister Carolyn Dawn (Michael) Wright; brother-in-law John (Kathleen) Berg; mother-in-law Carole Berg; sister-in-law Joan Bercoon; many nieces and nephews and amazing friends who called and treated him like a brother and have become our family.  He is preceded in death by his parents.

A private* funeral will be held at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, 824 Wisconsin Ave, Sheboygan, WI on Saturday, May,23rd at 2:00 PM.  The service will be live streamed at:  Trinity Live Stream .  In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation to one of the following:Trinity Lutheran Church- 824 Wisconsin Ave, Sheboygan, WI 53081Faith Lutheran Church- 1275 Main St, Antioch, IL 60002The John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health- 11901 Santa Monica Blvd #410, Los Angeles, CA 90025* Watch for current COVID-19 updates in Sheboygan County as Ray’s service may become public.

43 replies on “Raymond “Ray” R. Hook”

  1. I am so sorry for your loss. May you find comfort and joy in his memories and with all the people that Ray touched.

  2. Thanks for writing such a personal obit with those of us who never really spent much time with Ray. It really gives an insight to who he was. Forever in your hearts and minds and now at peace with Jesus. Our love to you all.

  3. Beth, Aubrey and Allie, my love and thoughts are with you in the coming days as you wrestle with your tremendous loss. Thankfully Ray left quite a legacy that will never be forgotten. 💞

  5. Much love to our Hook family! Ray was a wonderful, all around guy and will be very missed. He will live on in you ladies and all of the wonderful memories made! You Hook’s always had a good time! #HookedOnHope. #TeamZStrong

  6. We are so very sorry for your loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time.

    Tim & Sally Bermann

  7. Beth, Allie, & Aubrey-

    I will continue to keep you in my intentions, prayers for strength and peace.

  8. Beth, Aubrey, and Allie–holding you all in my heart and thoughts; this write up is such a loving tribute to a great man, father, and friend. Sending you all love.

  9. We are so sorry for Ray’s passing. We knew him to be friendly, kind, loving, interesting and generous with his time and talent. He was so well loved by his family and friends. It was very evident that they were beloved by him as well. Rest In Peace Ray. Your absence will be very present for a long time.

  10. Beth and family,
    I am sending you love and peace as your hearts heal during this difficult time. My thoughts are with you and Ray is in my prayers.

  11. Peace and our Lord’s comfort Beth and daughters. He was great guy and has gone to his Heavenly Home.
    Jeanne Berg Christoff
    LaGrange Park. il

  12. What an amazing example, what an amazing man, what an amazing family! Love to all of you!

    Terry and Kristi

  14. Ray was the type of friend you could love and count on anytime.Always upbeat, personable, and never complains. It was my great pleasure to have been a dear friend of Ray’s for over 50 years. You are now at peace and can start riding that Harley again🥰

  15. Dear Hook Family,
    What an incredibly loving tribute to a resilient and kind-hearted man. For those of us that did not have the honor of knowing him personally, you have painted a vibrant picture of who he was. My heart, love, and prayers are with you all. #Hookstrong

  16. Our hearts goes out to you all. So many great memories working with Ray.. Never ordinary and always extraordinary. Ray’s sly humor, genius and passion for creating amazing things truly enriched my working life. I so miss those times and think of them often. Thanks Ray… Ken

  17. Beautiful and loving tribute to one heck of a great guy. Ray, you are already missed.
    To Beth and family, so sorry for your loss. Grief is difficult and there are no words to soothe it, and San Diego is sending love and hugs to you. 🌻♥️

  18. My beautiful neighbors and friends. Even as I write this note, tears stream down my face. Living beside you is not just a space, it is a heart felt way of life. I’ve always known that you all would be there for us and we for you. We have watched one another’s children grow up, our marriages grow and our health struggle. I have always marveled at Rays work ethic and his break free personality. He always had a joke for me and a helping hand to our needs. I still laugh thinking of how many times we borrowed that snake to unclog our drains and how he finally said, “ keep the damn thing will ya?” So Ray. Ok, how about when he was putting your compression sock on and he said it was like putting a condom on an elephant! Only Ray. Man, I will miss him…..my heart is broken beside you. Jesus says, I am closest to the broken-hearted and he is. Life will never be the same here on earth but as he dances in heaven with his Savior and a restored body it brings me relief and I pray it does for you also. Your husband Beth and your dad (Aubrey and Allie) would not want you to waste a moment of your lives feeling bad over him, he was too unselfish. Instead, he would want you all to go forth, bless others and be a light to others as he was. I love you all very much!!!

  19. Beth, Aubrey and Allie,
    What a perfectly beautiful obit describing Ray exactly as we will remember him! He was so warm and friendly when anyone in our family visited; a true pleasure to have known him. We know you have an abundance of wonderful memories that will help you find peace. Our love & thoughts are with you,

    Joan Bercoon, Nathan & Evan Berg

  21. Beth, Aubrey and Alicia
    Ray always referred to you as ‘his girls’ and that you were. Beside him all the way! Supporting him, sharing him with the so many others he reached out to help, embracing his dedication to garage time and chatting with the many people that stopped by to talk with him as he worked on a project. I remember Ray liked ice cream. I remember he liked his Harley and I remember he loved ‘His Girls’. Stay strong, he is only a thought away.

  23. I have fond memories as we grew up from grade school to present! You will be missed & are loved by many! Rest In Peace my friend.

  24. Ray was an incredible asset to our organization. His dedication, perseverance and creative genius will be sorely missed. Though we were colleagues for the past several years, I never had the chance to really get to know him like many others here. That is my loss and missed opportunity. God Bless Ray.

  25. There are no words for how we feel! The world was a better place with him in it!! ❤️ We will miss him always!🙏

  26. I’ve known Ray since we were little kids riding bicycles around the Tastee Freese when I used to live on Whitney St. I am saddened by his loss and my condolences to all of his family.

  27. I remember our school days and being at your cousins, Linda’s, house. I know you are in our Lord’s loving arms. My thoughts and prayers are with your family.

    1. Beth, Aubrey, and Allie
      You are in my thoughts and prayers. Ray will always be with you.

  29. Dear Beth, Aubrey and Allie. My goodness, I am at a complete loss for words. I am so very deeply saddened to hear of Ray’s passing. Such a wonderful and genuine human being, and master craftsman. He will be terribly missed! My condolences to the entire Hook family. Each of you are in my thoughts and prayers!!

  30. Beth, there are no words to console. We are so sorry to hear about Ray, aka “Redbone”. Our condolences to you and your daughters. And also, to all family members of yours & Ray’s during this difficult time. Love and Hugs, Steve & June Anderson

  31. I remember all the fun times with Ray. What a great time at your wedding. Ken and him worked together for years. He will be so missed. My heart goes out to you and your family. God bless.

  32. With heavy hearts we send our sympathy and prayers for support in these dark days. He is with our Lord and we will be able to meet him in the future. God Bless You & your Family.

  33. Please accept my sincere condolences for your family. I had the honor of working with Ray since 2015. Everyone at Wachs Water Services (Xylem) is better for having known him. For those of us that had the privilege of working in the Buffalo Grove office, we were humbled by not only his master-level skills in the garage, but also his kindness and compassion to everyone around him. He will be greately missed.

    With sincere sympathy,
    Laura

  34. I am so sorry to hear about Ray. I regret not getting to know him more while working with him at Wachs. I know that his skills, personality, and character are irreplaceable. God bless Ray and his family.

  35. My heart hurts, Ray will be missed but never forgot. Big part of my youth growing up .
    So many great memories, I’ll hold on to them
    Till I can laugh with him about them.
    May you rest in peace. 🙏❤😔

  36. So very sorry for your loss. I am glad to hear that he knew the Lord and has gone ahead of us. I expect that one day we will be together enjoying the perfect home….my prayers are sent to God above for you to have peace.

  37. Sending words of comfort and peace to your family. Ray was such a kind, patient person. Always enjoyed his conversations esp recently when I would bump into him. He will be so missed and might I say, the world was a better place knowing Ray. Rest In Peace my friend. Holding all the family close to my ❤️

  38. Redbone I’m with you my brother in spirit and faith, trying to watch your memorial service? I Love You Bro!!See you soon. 🙏😇😰

  39. Beth, Aubrey, Allie & Ryan,
    We wanted to say how very sorry we were for your loss. We know you are grieving and that Jesus grieves with you, however, as John said during the celebration service, Ray is rejoicing in heaven…even dancing! That was another thing I didn’t know about Ray, in addition to his sewing skills! The service was a loving memorial and truly celebratory. Ray is a wonderful man and will be truly missed.
    We pray the Lord continues to minister to your hearts during this season and that as memories pop into your mind you will rejoice that you will see Ray/Dad again and that time will never end. Amazing Grace in Jesus Christ our Savior. Big virtual hugs as I wish we could be there in person to weep with you and just recall fond memories in the “hood.” Love to each of you!

  40. Beth, Aubrey, Allie & Ryan,
    This is #2…as the first post didn’t seem to be added to the page.
    We just wanted to say how very sorry we are for your loss. We know that Jesus weeps with you and that at the same time, as John shared during the service, Ray is actually rejoicing in the presence of his Savior and King Jesus, even dancing! That is a talent I was not aware of, that and his sewing skills. We could have started a sewing club or maybe a knitting club. =). We wish that we could be there with you to weep and just hug you all during this difficult time. When those memories pop into your minds, and I know they will, just remember that you will be able to share those with Ray/Dad in the future when you all will be together in the presence of our Lord and Savior, Jesus. Amazing Grace indeed and what a Redeemer. We pray the Lord continues to comfort you and surround you with His love. Big virtual hugs and love to each of you!

  41. My condolences to the family! I was in the same class as Ray through high school and also a member at Faith Lutheran Church! May he Rest In Peace and I pray for comfort for his family.

  42. Grew up on Manor lake with Redbone and a whole bunch of other nutty kids. First time I met Bone he was on a mini bike that went like 65 mph,. The other was a bicycle that he had to step off on to the boathouse to get off of.. Many fantastic memories with him. Good rest your soul brother…. Duck Billeck ,Foxlake,I’ll.

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