Raymond Jerome Pease

06/25/1951 to 06/22/2019

Raymond Jerome (Jerry) Pease, 67, was born in on June 25, 1951 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was raised and lived in Slidell, Louisiana until his move to New Orleans in 1974. He moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1981 with his best friend and partner Laura.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond Jerome Pease Sr. and Hazel “Dootsie” Powers Pease, by his Great Uncle Samuel “Skelly” Currie and Great Aunts Lottie “Nen” Currie Smith and Irene “Skeet” Currie, all of Slidell, Louisiana, as well as several beloved pets.

Ray graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, LA in 1973, putting himself through school by working part time and in summers primarily at the National Grocery Store in Slidell. He was employed by the State of Louisiana for over 33 years until his retirement in 2009. Over his years of State employment, he promoted to a Fraud Investigator for the Department of Social Services, then to Fraud Unit Supervisor, and finally to State Director of Fraud Investigations for DSS. He had a passion for his work and gave it his all, earning the confidence and respect of his staff and other DSS non-investigative staff, United States Secret Service personnel, United States Marshalls, United States Postal Inspectors, and local and state court and law enforcement personnel.

Ray and Laura shared a love of the Western North Carolina mountains and the Blue Ridge Parkway, visiting annually beginning in 1979, staying at the Pisgah Inn on the BRP, then visiting more often when possible throughout the years. In October 1986 they were married at Craggy Gardens, one of their favorite spots on the Parkway. Their dream was realized when they built a home in 2005 in the Biltmore Lake community in Candler, near Asheville, North Carolina and more importantly, close to the Blue Ridge Parkway. They made the permanent move from Louisiana in 2010 after both retired.

Ray loved his life in North Carolina, and took advantage of his proximity to the Parkway, hiking, picnicking, visiting Parkway centers, and just taking short and long rides to appreciate the scenery and remind himself how blessed he and Laura were to be there. He became an active member of St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, visited almost every new beer brewery in the Asheville and surrounding area, and enjoyed the many friendships he made in his neighborhood, church and around Asheville, especially with the patrons and staff of Blue Mountain Pizza in Weaverville. He and Laura rarely missed a Friday night there, enjoying the food (and beer), laughing and sharing with their good friends Robert and Darlene Phillips, and the comradery with other Friday night regulars and the staff. Topping things off for him was the strong attachment and love for his little beagle, NOLA, who he always called the best dog in the world. That love was reciprocated, resulting in an incredible bond between two friends.

Raymond is survived by Laura Cazaux Pease, his loving, beloved wife of 32 years of marriage and 39 years of sharing life together. He is also survived by his siblings, Charlene “Tweet” Bacques and her husband Hal who was like a second brother, Carey Pease Grush, her husband Lou, and her son Christopher, all of Slidell, James “Jim” Pease and his wife Marcia of Birmingham , Alabama and their son David Pease and partner Michelle Olsen, and daughter Jordan Waller, her husband Mike and their new baby Jack, and Nancy Pease and partner Rick Townley of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His ties with and love for his siblings were not diminished by miles of separation and the complexities and obligations of adulthood.

Visitation will be at the St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, 768 Asbury Rd. in Candler, NC, 28715 from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Wednesday June 26, 2019, immediately followed by a Funeral Mass celebrated by the Rev. Father Dean Cesa. Following Mass there will be a reception in the Church Activity Room. Inurnment will be held in the St. Joan of Arc Columbarium at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, Ray requested that donations be made in his memory to the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, brpfoundation.org, 717 S. Marshall St., Suite 105B, Winston-Salem NC, 27101-5865, or to St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church.

Raymond brought joy and love and generosity to many, and will be sorely missed.