Raymond Strand

Raymond Strand, of Bismarck, passed away at the age of 75 on Tuesday, November 1, 2022, at St. Vincent’s nursing home in Bismarck, North Dakota.

Raymond Iver Strand was born in Rugby, North Dakota on February 7, 1947, son of Ivey and Clara (Smith) Strand. As a child, Ray grew up in the Leeds, York, Towner, Verendrye, and Velva areas, which left him with many fond memories of times spent with his brothers, sisters, and uncles.

On New Year’s Eve 1965, Ray and the love of his life, Bonita Lovro, hopped on a train to Des Moines, Iowa, where they eloped and were united in marriage on January 10, 1966. Their marriage blessed them with three children: Beverly, Rhonda, and Jason. Ray loved his wife and kids, and was very proud of his family.

Following his graduation from Velva High School in 1965, he then furthered his education at the College of Automation in Des Moines. He began his career in computers at Blue Cross Blue Shield in Des Moines, continued at Blue Cross in Fargo, and then in April 1968 began a 37-year career in Bismarck, working for the State of North Dakota at the State Capitol, retiring in April of 2005. While working for the state, Ray was part of the development of the state’s computer systems, starting with the old punch card technology and progressing through state-of-the-art mainframe systems when he retired.

Ray’s hobbies included woodworking, talking about old cars, and taking countless camping trips with his family. Ray and Bonita traveled from coast to coast on camping adventures, their favorite destinations being Glacier National Park and the Black Hills. When Ray wasn’t camping, he often enjoyed researching and planning his next camping trip.

Ray was a man of few words, but many thoughts. Ray knew that if something was worth doing, it was worth doing right. He was a problem solver who loved to tinker, a hard worker who took pride in his job, and a loyal and loving husband, father, and grandfather.

Ray was preceded in death by parents Ivey Strand and Clara Gibb, step-father Ray Burns, sister Loretta Williams, brother Duane Rodland, mother and father-in-law Belinda and Justin Lovro, brothers-in-law Harold Lovro and Ed Williams, niece Mona Loe, and his revered uncle, Galen Strand.

Ray is survived by his loving wife of 56 years Bonita Strand, daughters Beverly Brown (Jeff) of Valentine, NE, Rhonda Goodwin (David) of Plymouth, England, son Jason Strand (Amy) of Surrey, ND, grandchildren Camilla Brown, Nicola Goodwin, Alyx Goodwin, Kaden Reiter, and Kaitlyn Reiter, siblings Roy Strand (Yumiko) of Yokohama, Japan, Kathy Haynes (Hal) of Dallas, NC, Arvid Burns (Mary Beth) of Tucson, AZ, Douglas Gibb of Michigan, cherished uncle Donald Smith of Murray, UT, siblings-in-law Cheryl Lovro, Elton Lovro (Helen), and Carol Carr (Jim), and many nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, November 4 at Thompson-Larson Funeral Home in Minot.

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, November 5, 2022, at Thompson-Larson Funeral Home in Minot. The service will be live-streamed and may be viewed at the link provided on his web page at www.thompsonlarson.com

Burial: Rising Lutheran Cemetery in rural Norwich at 2:15 p.m., Deacon Deidre Wall officiating. After burial, family and friends are invited to gather at the McGillicuddy Community Center in Granville for fellowship.