STUBBINGS, Raymond Alexander Stubbings

It is with great sadness that the family of Raymond Stubbings announces his passing on November 16th, 2025, at Lakeridge Health Oshawa after a brief illness.

He was able to celebrate his 100th birthday on November 15th and will be sadly missed by his family & friends. His beloved wife Arletta (Ricky) Stubbings predeceased him in 2021. Loving father of Paul (Nancy), Kerry (Michael), Lisa (Brian) & Brian (Cathie). He will also be greatly missed by his grandchildren Matthew (Krista), Emily, Michael, Kimberley, Darcie (Craig), Adam, Brett (Rebecca) & Curtis. He was also a great grandfather to Elliott & Zoey. His siblings Murray Stubbings and Corrine Langdon, both predeceased him.

Ray was born in Toronto in 1925 and grew up in East York. He worked in Toronto, at U of T insulin labs and then Bell Canada for his career and eventually moved to east Scarborough where they raised their family. While he lived in East York as a youth, Ray enlisted and was trained as a navigator in the RCAF and though he didn’t see active service, he always honoured other veterans on Remembrance Day.

He worked for over 40 years at Bell Canada and for a short time also worked with London Life part time to provide for his family. Ray retired from the Bell at age 59, and because he was always a busy ‘go – getter’, started a second business as a residential handyman. He was a “Mr. Fix-It” /MacGiver so that was a great second career for him. He was always happy to help family and friends with any job/fix /reno that was needed. When Dad & Mom retired, they decided that living over 40 years in West Rouge was long enough and decided to move farther east to settle in Oshawa.

When they retired, Ray and Ricky also bought a Florida vacation home and enjoyed several warm winters in Palm Harbor. Always an avid traveller, Ray was often arranging trips for the two of them to places like Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Vegas, Europe and many other trips often with friends and family. Ray enjoyed road trips and in their early years together and as a young family, they travelled to Eastern Canada, and down to US states like Florida. Ray and Ricky also did an extensive road trip to Arizona and up the California coast, then back to Ontario- all in a Honda Accord! He and Ricky enjoyed the state of Maine and returned to a favourite Inn there for many years. Ray went on an Alaskan cruise himself and enjoyed majestic northern sights and went on several land excursions from the cruise, to satisfy his wanderlust. After seeing that northern part of BC, of course, a train trip for two to Western Canada was a must and Ray and Ricky went on the Rocky Mountaineer for a tour.

His pastimes included his ongoing love of airplanes & trains. Ray collected and built an extensive miniature train set in his basement and spent many hours enjoying it. He loved all things at the airport and planes of any size, era or fashion.

Ray was always an avid outdoorsman and fostered a love of fishing, boating, camping & cottaging to his children. He loved sports and taught all his children to swim, ride a bicycle and of course, skate. Both sons played hockey, as did he. He was a huge hockey fan as he played Junior B calibre hockey as a young man and then recreational hockey for most of his adult life. When he could no longer play, he enthusiastically followed the NHL on TV, especially the ‘Habs’! He also enjoyed watching CFL football and MLB baseball, specifically the Blue Jays. You could ask Ray anything about players or teams and he knew the answers. He also enjoyed TV programs about War stories, mighty war machines and ‘How things are made.’

Ray was a voracious reader in his later years, and kept an extensive diary of all his novels and a critique of each.

Ray also enjoyed golf, and in his retirement took up the game weekly with a group of men he met at the Oshawa tennis bubble ‘walk- track’.

Always friendly, Ray often knew many of his neighbours wherever he lived, and Ricky was known to say “your Dad would talk to a chicken”… affectionately describing his avid communication skills with people.

A quick study, in his 80’s, Ray learned computer skills, including online banking, online shopping, emailing and computer games. He loved to stay current and connected. If he couldn’t go somewhere, he’d find a Youtube site with his interest /destination.

Another pastime was, Ray’s love of music, and he would often listen to the Big Band sound and Marching music on the radio or his CD’s. Ray also enjoyed playing cards and was a ‘shark’ at Euchre or Cribbage and every morning for the last 8 years, he would play solitaire against his computer to keep his mind sharp.

Ray kept current, following Canadian, US and World politics & he could discuss these at length, until his last month of life.

Ray was staunchly independent to the end, and drove his car until age 97. He then purchased a power scooter and continued to explore his community to do his necessary errands and shopping. He loved food and created most of his own meals from scratch. Raised in a time where money was luxury, he continued to penny pinch as a way of life. He hated to ask for help, and usually did quite well on his own. This pervaded into his health and he was affectionately known by family as ‘Dr. Google’ or ‘Dr. Stubbings’, as he often self-diagnosed minor health issues-the doctor was not on his preferred list of errands to run. He was fortunate to enjoy relatively good health all his life, save two limited bouts with Cancer.

Our Dad, often larger than life, will be missed. His grandchildren coveted their relationship with their Grampy and gained great life insights and lessons from him, as did we.

Ray and Ricky threw many house parties back in the ‘old days’, and our Dad always enjoyed a good party with music & dancing -he even did some commissioned DJ work earlier in his life.

Now, our parents, Ray & Ricky will be “tripping the light fantastic” together, as dance partners once again.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to the nursing and medical staff at Lakeridge Health Oshawa, 4F, for their compassionate care during his last stay. We would like to thank other health professionals in the community who assisted with his ongoing care.

Resting at Armstrong Funeral Home with cremation and interment at Thornton Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Canadian Cancer Society.