Ray Kittendorf was my friend beginning in first grade at College Hill School, continuing through junior high at Skiles and high school at ETHS. We were always together during grade school, at each other's houses, riding our bikes, sledding or whatever. In those years, the Kittendorfs lived on the 8900 block of Central Park, near East Prairie and Lake Street, in Skokie. I remember, one year when I returned from vacation in August, I think in the summer of 1954 between 3rd and 4th grade, Ray had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and had to give himself shots. It never discouraged him or slowed him down. Ray was a particularly excellent swimmer, becoming a "shark" at the Evanston YMCA, I recall, in 5th grade, and shortly thereafter he qualified as a "life-saver". He swam all the strokes, racing on the ETHS swimming team in backstroke and individual medley. He made varsity his sophomore year, and this was on a team coached by Dobbie Burton, a team which, during those years, inevitably vied for and more than once won the state championship, competing with New Trier and Hinsdale. The first game of golf I ever played was with Ray at the North Shore Country Club course, on one of his days off as a life-guard at the club pool, as staff were allowed to play on their days off. I will never forget Ray, or his older sister, Judy, younger sister, Eleanor, his mom, Nora, and his dad, Ed. May he rest in peace. -- Karl Morthole
Just to share, I found this obituary for Ray online --
Raymond E. Kittendorf, age 62, of Adams, Wisconsin passed away on June 12, 2008 at his residence.
Memorial services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 17, 2008 at the Trinity Congregational Church in Adams, Wisconsin. Rev. Richard Corning will officiate. Visitation will be at the church from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service.
Raymond was born March 6, 1946 in Chicago, Illinois to Edgar and Nora Kittendorf. He graduated from The University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana earning a Masters Degree in Special Education. Raymond taught Special Education for the Adams-Friendship School District from 1979-2006.
He enjoyed running, swimming, SCUBA diving, skydiving, cross-country skiing, woodworking and restoring cars.
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Memorials may be directed to Tomah Hospice Touch, 321 Butts Ave., Tomah, WI 54660.
Raymond was preceded in death by his father, Edgar Kittendorf
Survivors:
Son: Ron Kittendorf of Tampa, Florida
Mother: Nora Kittendorf of Friendship, Wisconsin
Sister: Judy (Bill) Rieckhoff of Edina, Minnesota
Sister: Eleanor Ohlson of Wetumpka, Alabama
Former Wife: Nadine Wolf of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin
4 nephews, 2 nieces
Roseberry's Funeral Home is assisting the family. Visit www.roseberrys.com for online condolences and further information.
Thank you Karl for,the info,on Ray. I knew him as a teammate on freshman swimming with coach Burton. We were not close outside of school but we were buddies at ETHS !
We always had a good,time at reunions.
i knew about his diabetes which I became much more familiar with when I married my wife who has been typ 1 since she was 15!
Thanks again for your Ray story and update on him.
Thanks, Karl for your lovely post on Ray and then the follow- up obituary. That Ray was able to excel athletically with Type 1 diabetes is very impressive. Having Tyype I diabetes is a constant struggle and obviously, he handled it beautifully to be able to compete in swimming and then all the other sports he pursued after high school. My son is a Type I diabetic who diagnosed himself when he was 19. To live life well and not let diabetes hold you back is the mark of a true hero. It makes me see him in a new light as I never knew he lived with this disease.
I can also relate about diabetes problems as I am also diabetic, Karl; but mine is type 2. I've been a diabetic since the late 1970's. I never had been a classmate of Ray's-that I know of-in any of my classes at either Skiles (as my family had moved from Chicago to Evanston just before I'd started 8th grade in 1959) or at ETHS. I currently do my own doctor requested glucose testing 3 times each day and record this information in a book for my diabetes specialist. My tests each day are done at: breakfast, supper and bedtime each day; just over 2 years ago, I also needed to begin to use Insulin and this is done before I eat my supper time meal.
Karl Morthole
Ray Kittendorf was my friend beginning in first grade at College Hill School, continuing through junior high at Skiles and high school at ETHS. We were always together during grade school, at each other's houses, riding our bikes, sledding or whatever. In those years, the Kittendorfs lived on the 8900 block of Central Park, near East Prairie and Lake Street, in Skokie. I remember, one year when I returned from vacation in August, I think in the summer of 1954 between 3rd and 4th grade, Ray had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and had to give himself shots. It never discouraged him or slowed him down. Ray was a particularly excellent swimmer, becoming a "shark" at the Evanston YMCA, I recall, in 5th grade, and shortly thereafter he qualified as a "life-saver". He swam all the strokes, racing on the ETHS swimming team in backstroke and individual medley. He made varsity his sophomore year, and this was on a team coached by Dobbie Burton, a team which, during those years, inevitably vied for and more than once won the state championship, competing with New Trier and Hinsdale. The first game of golf I ever played was with Ray at the North Shore Country Club course, on one of his days off as a life-guard at the club pool, as staff were allowed to play on their days off. I will never forget Ray, or his older sister, Judy, younger sister, Eleanor, his mom, Nora, and his dad, Ed. May he rest in peace. -- Karl Morthole
Karl Morthole
Just to share, I found this obituary for Ray online --
Memorial services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 17, 2008 at the Trinity Congregational Church in Adams, Wisconsin. Rev. Richard Corning will officiate. Visitation will be at the church from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service.
Raymond was born March 6, 1946 in Chicago, Illinois to Edgar and Nora Kittendorf. He graduated from The University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana earning a Masters Degree in Special Education. Raymond taught Special Education for the Adams-Friendship School District from 1979-2006.
He enjoyed running, swimming, SCUBA diving, skydiving, cross-country skiing, woodworking and restoring cars.
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Memorials may be directed to Tomah Hospice Touch, 321 Butts Ave., Tomah, WI 54660.
Raymond was preceded in death by his father, Edgar Kittendorf
Survivors:
Son: Ron Kittendorf of Tampa, Florida
Mother: Nora Kittendorf of Friendship, Wisconsin
Sister: Judy (Bill) Rieckhoff of Edina, Minnesota
Sister: Eleanor Ohlson of Wetumpka, Alabama
Former Wife: Nadine Wolf of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin
4 nephews, 2 nieces
Roseberry's Funeral Home is assisting the family. Visit www.roseberrys.com for online condolences and further information.
Sherwin "Jay" Siegall
Thank you Karl for,the info,on Ray. I knew him as a teammate on freshman swimming with coach Burton. We were not close outside of school but we were buddies at ETHS !
We always had a good,time at reunions.
i knew about his diabetes which I became much more familiar with when I married my wife who has been typ 1 since she was 15!
Thanks again for your Ray story and update on him.
Jay Siegall
Holly Romans (Green)
Thanks, Karl for your lovely post on Ray and then the follow- up obituary. That Ray was able to excel athletically with Type 1 diabetes is very impressive. Having Tyype I diabetes is a constant struggle and obviously, he handled it beautifully to be able to compete in swimming and then all the other sports he pursued after high school. My son is a Type I diabetic who diagnosed himself when he was 19. To live life well and not let diabetes hold you back is the mark of a true hero. It makes me see him in a new light as I never knew he lived with this disease.
Carol Simon (Kohn)
I can also relate about diabetes problems as I am also diabetic, Karl; but mine is type 2. I've been a diabetic since the late 1970's. I never had been a classmate of Ray's-that I know of-in any of my classes at either Skiles (as my family had moved from Chicago to Evanston just before I'd started 8th grade in 1959) or at ETHS. I currently do my own doctor requested glucose testing 3 times each day and record this information in a book for my diabetes specialist. My tests each day are done at: breakfast, supper and bedtime each day; just over 2 years ago, I also needed to begin to use Insulin and this is done before I eat my supper time meal.