Raymond Roy Herman

Raymond Roy Herman, 92, of Bismarck, ND, passed away on Monday, November 27, 2017 at Missouri Slope Lutheran Care Center. A memorial service will be held at 1:30 pm Friday, December 8, at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck. Cremation has taken place. Family will be greeting visitors starting at 1:00 pm Friday at Parkway Funeral Service, Bismarck. Burial will be at 3:00 pm Friday at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan. An open house will be held following the burial. He was born in Wilton, ND, on July 27, 1925, to John and Lydia (Thurn) Herman. The family moved to Wilton in 1926.  Ray graduated from Wilton High school in 1943. Upon graduation, he enlisted in the Navy Air Corps to serve his Country in World War II. In 1946, after the end of the war, he returned to Wilton to briefly work in construction. After attending Architecture school at North Dakota State University from 1946-1948, he moved to Bismarck to work in construction for 20th Century Sign Company. In 1948, he attended graphic arts/sign school in Chicago, returning to work as a sign painter for 20th Century. In 1958, he established his own business – Signs of Bismarck. Ray worked long hard hours building a successful business. He had a great talent for free-hand graphic arts – he was one of the last great free-hand sign painters. Ray married Anna Marie Diede on June 3, 1949. They had three children – Tom, Dan, and Doug. Ray and Ann were proud to have provided a strong and secure family environment, enabling all three children to graduate from college and to pursue their own successful careers and families. Ray sold part of the business in 1982, and was semi-retired until selling the entire business in 1986. Ray and Ann moved to their dream home on the golf course at Apple Creek Country Club, where Ray enjoyed gambling (just for fun, of course) at golf, pool and cards. Eventually, he stopped playing when he realized it wasn’t so much “playing” that he liked as it was “winning”. In addition to living in Bismarck most of their lives, Ray and Ann spent many winters in Arizona. Recently, Ray was a resident at Valley View Assisted Living and Missouri Slope Lutheran Care Center. Ray and his entire family extend their sincere appreciation and gratitude to all the wonderful caregivers for their compassion and respect for “Ray-Ray”. Ray is survived by his sons, Tom (Bev Malarchick), Bismarck, ND, Dan (Mary Monsoor), La Crosse, WI, Doug (Jill Narlock), Encinitas, CA; his grandchildren, Sara (Steve) Hamilton, Champlin, MN, Kristin (Nick) Noonan, Fargo, ND, Tom (Toni) Herman, Bismarck; the Hamilton great-grandchildren, RaeAnn, James, and Adria; and the Herman great-grandchildren Kinley, Kaden, Brielle, and Crosby; sister-in-law, Donna Herman; step-sister, Gloria Pringle, WA; and half-brother, Ervin, MN. Ray was preceded in death by his wife “Annie”; father, John; mother, Lydia; step-mother, Martha Wahl; and brothers, John and Clarence. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery Foundation, 1825 46th St., Mandan, ND, 58554.