Raymond (Ray) Dale Tucker

Raymond (Ray) Dale Tucker of Brighton, MI, passed away on October 16, 2025, at the age of 84. Born in 1941, he was the second youngest of 14 children, raised in a hardworking family in Stuart, Florida. In life, Ray was world-wise, generous, and tenacious—but above all, he was deeply committed to the people he loved and fascinated by the world he inhabited.

Ray served honorably as a Specialist 4th Class in the U.S. Army, stationed in Germany from 1960 to 1963. Upon his return, he moved to Detroit, Michigan, where he dedicated himself to meaningful work in the Motor City. He notably worked construction projects on new bridges connecting I-696 and I-75, sold Peterbilt trucks, worked at a farming manufacturing company for many years, and even test-drove prototype vehicles near the end of his career.

He also met and married Anita Rodman, whose son, Alex Malone, he raised as his own. Soon after they met, they settled in Oak Park, Michigan, and later Brighton—where they enjoyed a more rural setting with quiet evenings and family events. Ray cherished Anita with a once-in-a-lifetime love, a decades-long connection that lasted well beyond Anita’s passing from lymphoma in 2007. Ray, alongside his stepson, compassionately cared for her throughout her battle with cancer.

In the years that followed, he remained in his Brighton home, surrounded by neighbors he called friends. Ray’s trademark humor and headstrong personality were a true charm to everyone that knew him. He threw himself into uncovering the secrets of his family lineage, diving into library archives, combing through information from ancestry databases, and even traversing the country to visit relatives that connected him to the sprawling family he hailed from. He spoke proudly of his discoveries, connecting everyone in his life to a fascinating history.

Ray lived defiantly and spiritedly until the day of his passing. He maintained a rare confidence, an infectious kindness, and a spontaneity in everything he did. Even on the day he passed, he was out to eat at one of his favorite restaurants, living by his own rules. His family was devastated to have lost such a special person to sudden cardiac arrest.

Ray is survived by his loving son, Alex, and his fiancée Kathy, who were by his side as he passed. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Dr. Joan Rodman Smoller, who often enjoyed long, leisurely phone calls with Ray. His only remaining sibling, Richard Tucker, would tell you that while he didn't always agree with Ray, Ray was steadfast at being himself!

Dr. Smoller shared: “Although Ray didn’t have a college education, he was the smartest person I ever knew. Whenever I wanted to know about what was happening in the country, or discuss the family tree, he was the first person I called.” Dr. Smoller’s children, Ana Rodman Goulianos and Jocelyn Rodman, remember their uncle Ray with affection, as do his great nephews, Noah Rodman and Bryce Bishop.

Ray is also survived by his two grandchildren, Nick and Ben Malone, sons to Alex and Holly Malone, who all remember Ray for his tough exterior that couldn’t hide his compassionate and sentimental heart. In his final year, he was able to attend Nick’s wedding to his husband Oberon, and see Ben graduate from one of the top engineering colleges in the country. They shared fond memories of watching Ray rile up his springer spaniels, Lily and Delphie, of cozy visits to Brighton for the holidays, and of long winter walks with him through the woods near his home, where it seemed like every inch of the world was covered in a foot of snow.

Though his family is devastated to lose him so suddenly, they take solace in the fact that Ray remained in full command of his life in Brighton, connected to his family, his neighbors, his passions, and his beloved home that he never had to leave—and that he may be reunited with Anita, whose memory he treasured every day of his life.