Raymond L. Janssen (Burgie, D-Day Ray) passed away peacefully at home on June 16th, 2026 at the age of 92. Ray was born in 1933 in Los Angeles and was raised by his parents, Arthur and Velma Janssen in Santa Barbara. He was predeceased by his brothers, Richard and Walter.
Ray graduated from Santa Barbara High School and served in the U.S. Navy.
At Santa Barbara City College, he met his wife, Linda Gammill, in a zoology class. It was love at first sight when they shared a frog for dissection. They were married in the Old Mission on December 15, 1957 and purchased a home on the Mesa one half block from the ocean, where they raised their four children, Katrina Danilenko (Dimitry), Colette Longo (Joseph), Richard Damian, and Joseph Dion (Debra).
After retirement from Coca-Cola, Ray and Linda moved from the ocean to a forest in Nevada City, CA. After 20 years, they moved to the High Desert in Sparks, Nevada.
Ray is also survived by his grandchildren, Alan, Claire, Grace, Seth, Isaac, Eve, Lauren South (Zach) and Robyn and two great-grandchildren, Calvin and Eliza, and his orange cat, Mickey.
Ray recently celebrated 50 years as a grateful member of Alcoholics Anonymous.
He stayed in touch with several Santa Barbara High School friends, and he and Linda enjoyed their visits at their “Lodge” in Nevada City.
His grandchildren laughed at his stories and could repeat them word for word.
We miss him.
May his memory be a blessing.