Raymond C. Koorenny

Raymond Charles Koorenny was born on a 160 acre North Dakota homestead, Ryder, North Dakota to A.H. and Mary Koorenny on May 15, 1921. He moved to Harvey, N.D. at an early age where he graduated high school in 1937. He moved to Oregon in later 1937 where he attended what is now Walla Walla University, WA from 1938-40 and 1941-42. He was drafted into military service in 1942 (US Army) and retired 23 years later (1965) with the rank of Lt. Colonel USAF. His last military assignment was as Director of Operations, Altus Air Force Base, OK. During WWII, he was a B-17 pilot in the 8th Air Force and he was shot down on March 27, 1944. He spent the next thirteen and a half months as a P.O.W. in Stalag Luft I, Barth, Germany. He was liberated by the Russian Army and returned to the U.S. in June 1945. He spent most of the next five years at various Air Material Command bases including a tour in the Army of Occupation, Japan 1949 – 50. In the 1960’s he spent thirty months in Newfoundland. He was a graduate of Air Command & Staff College and the USAF Instrument Pilot Instructor school with a command pilot rating. He amassed over 7000 hours of military flying time. While stationed at James Connelly AFB, Waco, Texas he completed a BBA in Management at Baylor University where he made the Dean’s List both of the two quarters he was in residence – 1955. After retirement, he returned to Baylor and completed an MBA in Management - 1967. He taught Business courses for 4 years at Brazosport College, Lake Jackson, Texas. While there, he organized and sponsored a chapter of Phi Beta Lambda Business Fraternity. He was also a member of the State Advisory Board. He earned his doctorate from the University of Houston in 1974 while teaching part-time in the Houston Community College system, the Abilene Christian University (Houston Campus) and the University of Houston where he later taught full time. He was President of the University of Houston Chapter of Delta Pi Epsilon in 1972 (National Graduate Honor Fraternity in Business). He was also elected to membership in the Honor Sorority of Phi Kappa Phi, membership requirements similar to Phi Beta Kappa. While in Aviation Cadet Training in San Antonio (1942), he met an Army Nurse, Lt. Billie Inge, stationed at Brooke General Hospital. They were married in Little Rock, AK in May of 1943 and upon his return from Germany, she traveled with him to his various duty stations, including Japan and Newfoundland and into his retirement assignments. She died in M.D. Anderson Hospital in July 27, 1979 after a lengthy battle with cancer. A room in the hospital is dedicated to her memory. She is buried in Houston National Cemetery. Ray has lived in Elkins Lake at Huntsville, Texas since 1975 and served on the governing board in the late 1970’s. He was President of the Elkins Lake Men’s Golf Assn. in the early 1980’s. He helped organize and was a charter member of the East Texas Chapter of the Retired Officers Assn. (TROA) in 1975 and he served as Chapter President in three different years. He was Installing officer of new Board member on a dozen or more occasions. He served on the Board of The Landing at Seven Coves a time share program on Lake Conroe for seven years, first as Vice-President and the next six years as President. During this time, he was greatly responsible for retiring millions of dollars of indebtedness insured by the Developer, who had skipped. He was a Master Mason, a York Rite Mason, Post Commander of the Commanding Knights Templar, a Shriner, a Scottish Rite Mason and Degree Master of the 14th degree, a Jester and a Sojourner (Military). He was preceded in death by parents, three brothers, Robert, Ralph, and Erwin, and sister Lou Ella Dawes. His second wife Geraldine (Halbert) Koorenny passed away in 2005. He is survived by brothers LaVerne and Floyd and sister Donna Mae LeFore, all younger, and a step-daughter, Gerri Jo Morgan, and numerous nieces and nephews. His military decorations include Purple Heart, Air Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Good Conduct Medal, (earned while enlisted), ETO Ribbon w/two battle stars plus numerous lesser decorations. Once he took up golf, he played at every opportunity, walking and carrying his clubs or pulling a cart well into his late 80’s. He is proud of his four holes-in-one, three of which were made in tournaments. The last nine years of College Teaching were in the College programs of TDCJ out of Lee College in Baytown. He retired in 1987 after nineteen years of College and University teaching. During WWII, his two older brothers and one younger brother served in the military, one in the Navy (Pacific), one in the Army (Signal Corp) and he and his younger brother in the Army Air Corps, both pilots. LaVerne served during Korea, (1951 – 53). Services will be held Friday August 1, 2008 at 10:30 AM in the chapel of Sam Houston Memorial Funeral Home with Rev. Tom Holcomb officiating. Ray will be privately interred at Houston National Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5:30 to 7:30 PM Thursday July 31st at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers please make memorials to the HEARTS Veterans Museum at P.O. Box 6060 – Huntsville, TX 77342. Those wishing to leave memorial condolences for the family may do so at www.shmfh.com.