Raymond Burnett, Jr.

Raymond Burnett, Jr, 88, died peacefully on August 10, 2016, having spent his last months surrounded by loving family and friends.Ray was born at home in South Bend, the youngest of five children of Mabel (Robinson) and Raymond, Sr.  He attended Riley and Lakeville high schools where he excelled in track and basketball.Joining the Air Force the day after he graduated from high school, he trained as a gunnery photographer and eventually served in public relations at Selfridge Field, Michigan.  There he noticed a visiting local girl and arranged a blind date.  He and that girl, Betty Smith, were married weeks after his discharge on July 30, 1949, and they moved to South Bend. They were together until her death in 2001Ray had a life-long connection to Studebaker. His father and brother worked there, and he joined their parts department the day he came home from the Air Force.  He was a proud member of the union, where his father was a steward, and became a union representative.   When Ray was 26, he and Betty made the brave decision to move back to Michigan with their two young children so he could attend the University of Detroit.  After four grueling years of full time work and full time school, Ray became the first person in his family to graduate from college. A year later he earned an MBA and received the General Motors Gold Medal of Excellence for his top ranking in his classHe came back to South Bend and re-joined Studebaker, this time on the Sales and Marketing team.   He rose to become the National Advertising Manager, where his responsibilities included, he remembered fondly, working on the set of the Studebaker-sponsored Mr. Ed Show.  The day Studebaker closed everyone in his family was out of work, and that economic shock informed his career as it reverberated though all of South Bend. Ray went on to a distinguished career in marketing and advertising, eventually opening his own firm, Universal Marketing.In mid-life Ray decided to teach an evening course at Indiana University South Bend, and there he found his true calling. He eventually became a full-time professor, teaching in both the degreed and continuing education departments. He was a talented educator, earning Teacher of the Year, and a tireless mentor to his students.  He was especially dedicated to his part-time, working students, and was available to them – early, late or on weekends – to encourage and advise them on their classes and careers. Later, he consulted with numerous local businesses staffed or owned by his former students. He taught into his 70s.He maintained his consulting business during his teaching career and continued that work until his last illness. He devoted his leadership skills to several local organizations, including the Studebaker Museum and the YMCA.  He worked out at the YMCA nearly every day for his entire adult life, playing handball until his eighth decade (he was one of the premier handball players in this area), and served as YMCA president and board member for many years.  He also excelled at practical jokes and bad puns, was a Notre Dame football season ticket holder for 50 years, loved the Cubs, and followed his beloved Detroit Tigers until the end.His siblings and parents predeceased him.  He will be dearly missed by his children: Kathy Burnett and Kevin Burnett, both of Mishawaka, IN; Kim Burnett (Don Lynch) of Vienna, VA; and Kelly Burnett (Steve Wolf) of Reynolds, IN; his eleven grandchildren: Jeff Gray (Jennifer); Amanda, Austin and Ashley Burnett; Connor, Maggie and Maddy Lynch; Paul (Beth), Steve, Tiffany and Kaela Soots; five great-grandchildren: Alexis and Nicolette Gray; Evan Dorr, Morghan Heitman, and Sofie Soots; his loving companion, Karla Stoeckinger; and countless friends, colleagues, and former students.A Celebration of Life Open House will be held at the Studebaker Museum in South Bend on Friday, October 14, 2016, from 6:00 until 9:00 PM. Gifts in his memory may be made to the Center for Hospice Care, 501 Comfort Place, Mishawaka, IN 46545. Palmer Funeral Home-Guisinger Chapel is assisting the family.  Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.palmerfuneralhomes.com

 Service Information