Raymond Victor Laakso

Raymond Victor Laakso, 82, of Ft. Myers, Florida for the last 36 years, formerly of Linthicum Heights, MD, passed away at his home on Sunday, July 14, 2024.  He was born June 16, 1942, to Voitto and Bertha Laakso, now deceased. 

Raymond was a member of McGregor Baptist Church, Ft. Myers and was a US Army Vietnam War veteran. As a youth, Raymond loved sports of any kind. He learned to skate on Ice during the winter months and play Golf during the warmer months, along with car racing. His first job was serving as a golf caddy every Saturday in his hometown located in Massachusetts and was as eager to learn the sport. During his senior years of High School, he took drafting and drafted an entire community of three different residential homes that was purchased by a developer and was awarded a full scholarship at MIT.  During high school, Raymond skated Semi Pro Ice Hockey for the Boston Bruins Farm Team, however after high school as he turned 18, he was called by the US Army to serve his country and was stationed in Fort Meade, MD.  Raymond was a Sgt.E5 in the Army discharged as a Veteran of War during the Cuban Crises where the military was to invade Cuba in 1962. Ray loved Golf so much that he played as often as he could on the military post golf course.  During the early days of his tour of duty he was seen playing golf and was asked by a Colonel to become a member of the Second Army Golf Team as he carried a 6 handicap. He loved Golf. After leaving the military he and his wife moved back to MA to start their life together and within a couple years they moved back to MD where his wife was from. At first Ray drove over the road a car carrier within the United States. Missing the building industry, he decided to get back into the industry as a builder of dry kilns for lumber yards traveling within the United States. He retired from work in 1989 after an accident and remained retired for years until working part-time with an investigating firm in Fl until 2016.

Raymond is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Kawannah Laakso of Ft. Myers; four children, Michelle Schoeb (Michael) of Coral Gables, FL, Lisa Sreboski (Andrew) of York Haven, PA, Alison Trimmer of Ft. Myers and Raymond Laakso, Jr. also of Ft. Myers; a sister, Joyce Upham(Bill) of Mansfield, MA; ten grandchildren, Claudia, Cameron, Chloe, Heather, Weslie, Andrew, Alexandria, Jordan, Kourtney and Jacob; three great grandchildren, Simon, Brody and Raleigh; as well as several nieces and nephews and Toby the dog.

He was preceded in death by two brothers, Donald and Dick Laakso.

A Celebration of will be held at 11:00 AM Saturday, August 10, 2024 at McGregor Baptist Church, 3750 Colonial Blvd., Ft. Myers, Florida 33966 with Pastor Howard Russell officiating. A Reception will follow, in the McGregor  Baptist Hope Building, Room H110.

Mullins Memorial Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Fort Myers, is entrusted with final care.