Albert "Babe" RaymondJune 15, 1931 - Nov. 08, 2016VisaliaAlbert "Babe" Raymond passed away suddenly Tuesday afternoon at the age of 85. Babe was born on June 15, 1931 in Bell, CA to Albert C. Raymond and Martha Spitzer Raymond. In the 1940's the Raymond family moved first to Sanger, then to Woodlake, CA to farm. After proudly serving his country in the Korean War, Babe continued to work on the Raymond Brothers Ranch until it sold in 1973. Babe was an active member in the Woodlake Lions Club, cooking his famous beans at the Woodlake Rodeo each year. Never able to sit idle, Babe loved camping and hunting whenever he had the chance. In his final years before retirement, he worked for Leonard Whitney at Nickels Payless in Visalia repairing their various vehicles and machinery. One of the handiest men around, Babe could fix anything from a pocket watch to a diesel engine, although he would balk at the idea of following the "proper" route. What his family and friends admired most about him was his fearless attitude. Just last week, Babe was spotted on his roof making repairs and in his orange trees pruning away. Always selfless, Babe would be over at the drop of a hat to help a family member, friend or neighbor, as long as his two dogs Dukie and Missy could tag along. He was preceded in death by his wife Barbara Sewell Raymond, sister Jeanette Gruber, his brothers Leonard and Gary, and his parents. Babe is survived by his brother Louis and his wife Carol who reside in Vancouver, WA, his daughters Karen Souza (Ronnie) of Visalia, and Jeri Shear (Steve) of Colorado Springs, Doyle and Elaine Sewell, and his grandchildren Cole and Todd Souza, Kristen Sanchez, Aaron Shear, Meagan McManus, Courtney and Casey Sewell, as well as five great-grandchildren. Babe also had close bonds with his many nieces and nephews.His memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 12, 2016 at 3:00 p.m. at Salser and Dillard Funeral Chapel. A memorial tribute may be offered by logging onto www.salseranddillard.com