Raymond Studnicka

Raymond Studnicka, 78, of Aberdeen, passed away Wednesday, March 25, 2020, at Avera St. Luke’s Hospital in Aberdeen.

His memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, July 18, 2020, at Schriver’s Memorial Mortuary and Crematory, 414 5th Avenue NW, Aberdeen, with Fr. Michael Griffin officiating.  Military rites will follow by Sidney L. Smith American Legion Post #24 of Aberdeen.

Family and friends may sign the online guestbook and also view the service via the live stream service link at www.schriversmemorial.com.

Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the mortuary.

Burial took place at Black Hills National Cemetery in Sturgis, South Dakota. 

Raymond Studnicka was born March 5, 1942, in East Saint Louis, Illinois to Henry and Christine (Machac) Studnicka.  His growing up years would have him attending several different schools in East Saint Louis and Mascoutah, Illinois along with a period of time in Mountain View, Missouri.  Once the family settled down permanently in East Saint Louis, his graduations from both Lansdown Jr. High School and East Saint Louis Sr. High School were completed.  During his high school years, Raymond participated in both football and track and field.  His athletic career continued on with various results over the next five decades.  His last participation was in the South Dakota Senior Games.

On November 6, 1961, Raymond joined the United States Navy and was sent off to the Naval Training Center at Great Lakes, Illinois.  After graduation from naval boot camp, he was sent to Lakehurst, New Jersey to attend Naval Meteorology School.  After completion of school, his Naval career started with the overseas assignment of the Naval Fleet Weather Central/Joint Typhoon Warning Center at Agana, Guam.  With numerous assignments over the entire 20 years of military service that included tours on the U.S.S. Constellation (CVA 64), the Naval Fleet Weather Facility, Kodiak, Alaska along with the Naval Air Station at Lakehurst, NJ, Naval Air Station, Quonset Pt. RL, the Fleet Weather Facility Keflavik Iceland and the Fleet Weather Center at Rota, Spain, of which he retired from the Navy on November 31, 1981.  During his Naval career, Raymond served in the Vietnam War and some of his decorations include the Unit Accommodation Ribbon, Vietnam Service Medal, National Defense Medal and several Good Conduct Awards.

On March 5, 1966, Raymond married Carole D. Miller, of Cincinnati, OH, at Cincinnati.  Their union produced one son, Robert, on February 7, 1969, at Kodiak, Alaska.  Raymond and Carole parted ways in 1984.  After departing from the Navy and wanting to get as far away from the sea as possible, Raymond selected the opportunity to go to Sioux Falls, South Dakota to work for the National Weather Service.  After a tour of duty that lasted eight months, he took the opportunity to transfer to Aberdeen as this small weather office was about to reopen and needed workers in the field.  

After moving to Aberdeen in 1982 and beginning a new life in the civilian world, he was introduced to the love of his life and was the luckiest guy in the world to marry Linda L. Jung, of the Hosmer/Roscoe area, on May 25, 1985 at Hosmer, South Dakota.  One daughter, Erica, was born to their union on March 27, 1986 in Aberdeen.  As this union flourished for the family, Raymond truly loved to travel, with the most favorite places being that of Spain and Portugal.  The travel would also open up a whole new world for his loving wife as they traveled as much as possible, especially to Europe.  As it turns out, not many countries in Europe have not been visited by the Studnicka pair!  They also made a trip down under to Australia.

On May 3, 2003, Raymond retired from the National Weather Service at Aberdeen with a total career of 43 years working for the Federal Government in two different areas.  At this time, the travel window opened even bigger, as having to go to work would no longer impede travel.  Besides travel, Raymond always enjoyed fishing and hunting here on the plains.  He was a life member of VFW Post #17 in Aberdeen and also a member of the Retired Naval Weather Service Group.

Grateful for sharing his life is his wife, Linda Studnicka of Aberdeen; and two children, Robert Studnicka of Cincinnati, OH and Erica (Justin) Hoff of Winona, MN.

Raymond was preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Christine Studnicka. 

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