Obituary of Ernest Ray Whipps

Ernest Ray Whipps was born in Columbus, Ohio on August 25, 1921. He passed on to Glory in Portland, Oregon on April 17, 2019. Following his childhood and education in Columbus, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy Air Corp following the attack on Pearl Harbor. He then discharged from the Navy Air Corp with the intent of enlisting in the Army Air Corp; and even though he was already flying, the Army place him in the Infantry, where he severed in Europe until the end of the war. He was wounded in the Battle of Huertgen Forest and sent to a field hospital in Cherbourg, France. There, he was treated by, and mesmerized by one of the nurses, Lt. Betty J. Carter from Portland Oregon. In the 30 days he was in the hospital, he and Lt. Betty committed to each other. Following recovery and rehab in Oxford, England, Ray returned to front-line duty. He was separated from his unit, captured by the German Army, and sent as a POW to Stalag 7A, near Munich Germany. Upon his release at the end of the war, he and Betty reconnected and were married in New Orleans on September 30, 1945. (A full recounting of their story can be found in the book 'Til We Meet Again', authored by Craig Borlase). Ray and Betty settled in Portland, Oregon and spent 73 year of married life raising and enjoying their family of 7 kids, 14 grandkids, 11 great-grandkids, and assorted neighbor kids. Ray retired from Bonneville Power Administration as the Property management Officer. A private family burial will be on May 2, 2019 at Willamette National Cemetery. His memorial service will be held on Sunday, May 5, 2019 at 2:00 pm at Wood Village Baptist Church, 23601 NE Arata Rd, Wood Village, Oregon. The family requests that in lieu of flowers or gifts, memorial contributions be made to Trout Creek Bible Camp or Portland Rescue Mission.