A funeral Mass is planned for this weekend in Buffalo for a longtime community businessman and civic leader. Ramon “Ray” Thomes passed away June 11th at the age of 91.
Ray grew up in Arlington, Minnesota. With the Boy Scouts, he was an Eagle Scout, and a member of the Order of the Arrow. He graduated from St. John’s Prep School, and later St. John’s University in Collegeville. He served two years as a cryptographer and earned the rank of Sergeant in the U-S Army. He and his wife, Barbara moved to Buffalo in the mid-1950s and Ray joined the J. W. Thomes Insurance Agency. Ray eventually bought the agency from his uncle, John Thomes in 1958, operating it until he sold it to his son, Greg Thomes in 1989. Ray and Greg also co-owned Buffalo Bail Bonds from 1992 to 2017.
Ray was active in a number of state and national insurance industry groups, earning many awards.
He was also an active member of the Catholic lay organization, Serra International. He was a past president of the Wright County Chapter, and a former Grand Knight of the St. Francis Knights of Columbus Council.
His dedication to community included being a Scout Master with the Buffalo Boy Scouts for a number of years, and serving on several local boards including Buffalo Industrial Development, Inc., the Buffalo Chamber of Commerce, and the boards of the Wright County Retirement Center and Functional Industries.
The funeral Mass for Ray Thomes will be held Saturday at 11 AM at the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Buffalo. Memorials are preferred to the District 7 Catholic Serra Club of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
