Ray Gene ThiesenJuly 14, 1925 - May 02, 2017VisaliaRay Gene Thiesen was born on July 14, 1925 in Reedley, CA. An identical twin, he arrived 15 minutes after his twin Roy making him the youngest of 5 children to Peter and Hulda Thiesen. Ray graduated to Heaven on May 2, 2017 at the age of 91 surrounded by his loving family after having a stroke.Ray was raised on a farm but his desire was to go to college and be a teacher. He graduated from San Jose State in 1953. The quintessential "educator," he worked as a teacher, a school counselor and later an elementary school principal. He retired from the Visalia Unified School District in 1985. In 1977 he co-founded the Tulare County Christian Educators in Visalia, a group designed to encourage and strengthen the Christian witness of educators in public and private schools. At the age of 84, he founded Next Steps to Freedom, a group that helps parolees find jobs.In retirement, Ray and wife Joanne became world travelers and also made friends traveling in their 5th wheel. Many happy memories were also made spending time at the family's Hume Lake cabin. They called Visalia, CA home for 50+ years, but moved to the Sacramento area in August 2016 to live near family. While he loved his family it was accepted that Ray was especially partial to his canine sidekick Scruffy.Ray was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers Erven and Wesley, sister Rosella and daughter Jane Elizabeth. He is survived by his favorite wife of 57 years Joanne Thiesen of Roseville, CA, daughter Melinda Ryan and her husband Rich of Orangevale, CA, daughter Ann Everett and her husband Nick and grandson Brody of Bennington, OK, granddaughter Jordan Sherburne and her husband Dustin and great-grandson James of Orangevale, CA, grandson Zachary Ryan and wife Jessica of Citrus Heights, CA, grandson Marcus Peters and his wife Jetta of Kingsburg, CA, granddaughter Miranda Prins and her husband Nick of Kingsburg, CA, Ray's twin brother Roy Thiesen of Stockton, CA, and many loving nieces, nephews, and friends.A graveside service will be held on Tuesday, May 9 at 11 am at the Sylvan Cemetery in Citrus Heights. A memorial service will be held in Visalia, CA at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Ray's honor to Hume Lake Christian Camps.To sign online guestbook and share a memory, please visit www.reicherts.com