Raymond Lloyd Riffle, 83

Raymond Lloyd Riffle, 83, passed away in Sandpoint, Idaho, on Jan. 17, 2006.

Private family services will be conducted later.

Raymond was born in Sandpoint on Aug. 8, 1922, the son of Charles and Jeanette Riffle. He graduated from the eighth grade at the McArthur School near Elmira.

He worked for Brown's Mill in Naples, at Farragut and for Safeway.

On Sept. 13, 1942, he married Annabelle Burns in Sandpoint.

He served with the U.S. Army during World War II, seeing action in both Germany and France. Returning from the service, he worked for the local creamery in Sandpoint. He worked in the pole yards for 38 years, working for Shaffer-Hitchcock, Joslyn and Carneys, retiring in 1985.

He was a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and an avid ham radio operator with license W7TYE. W7TYE is now "off the air." He enjoyed his ham radio hobby and traveling throughout the United States.

He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Annabelle Riffle of Sandpoint; three children, James (and Sally) Riffle of Spokane, Wash., Shirley (and Ralph) Mavity of Sandpoint, and Richard (and Deanna) Riffle of Walla Walla, Wash.; numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins; and a brother, Clarence "Cap" (and Lila) Riffle of Thompson Falls, Mont. He was preceded in death by his parents and seven siblings.

Final arrangements are entrusted to the care of Coffelt Funeral Service of Sandpoint.