Raimo “Ray” Eljas Kujala

Raimo “Ray” Eljas Kujala, age 67, a resident of Thunder Bay passed away peacefully on June 20, 2018 at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre after a brief illness. 

Raimo was born in Kuortane, Finland in 1951 and immigrated to Canada in 1952. He was a mechanic by trade and worked for several years as a heavy duty mechanic and foreman at the Lac Des Iles Mine. He enjoyed fishing, gardening, stamp collecting and loved to cook and became an accomplished ‘chef’ experimenting with new recipes. He was very interested in genealogy and set up his own site and traced family back to the 1500’s. Raimo married the love of his life, Jane Achtenberg in 1996 and spent many years travelling to various places and travelling to see their beloved grandchildren. Raimo was a man with a loving soft heart, accepting each person he met, and always saw the good in them. He had a great sense of humour. He especially loved children and they loved him. He loved and bragged about his grandchildren constantly.

Raimo is survived by his loving wife Jane; stepsons David (Adora) Achtenberg, Andrew (Christine) Achtenberg, and Mark (Sylvia) Achtenberg; sister Rita Salo (Bill Madole); and grandchildren Kameron, Kyle, Karissa, Ethan, Alison, and Emerson. He is also survived by nieces, nephews, and their children, as well as many cousins in Finland. 
He is predeceased by his father Martti Kujala, his mother Rauha Kujala, his brother Matti Mayry, sister-in-law Joan, his sister Maija Nason, and brother-in-law Robert.

Funeral Services for Raimo will be held on Monday, June 25, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at Hilldale Lutheran Church, 321 Hilldale Road, officiated by Pastor Jari Lahtinen. Interment to follow at Riverside Cemetery after the reception.

If friends so desire, donations in Raimo’s memory may be made to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Medical Equipment Fund or the Alzheimer Society.

The family would like to thank the surgeon, doctors and nurses in the emergency department and the doctors, nurses, and staff in the ICU department for the excellent care and compassion shown to Raimo.