Jens Raymond Tinjum

Jan 9, 1930 -

Feb 28, 2022

Jens "Ray" Raymond Tinjum, age 92, peacefully passed away on Feb. 28, 2022, at home in Anchorage, Alaska, surrounded by family.

Ray was born to Otto and Minnie Tinjum on Jan. 9, 1930, in Ogema, Minn., and married Delores Lorraine Wolff on Nov. 8, 1952, at St. John's Lutheran Church in Park Rapids, Minn. Ray served in the U.S. Air Force in Tampa, Fla., and Rapid City, S.D.

Ray earned his B.S. in education at Black Hills Teachers College in 1958, and then his M.A. at the University of Iowa in 1964. Ray taught in Oskaloosa, Iowa, then moved to Nome, Alaska, in 1963, where he taught, coached basketball and was promoted to principal. After three years, he moved to Dillingham as school principal, then three years later to Kenai as Superintendent of Schools. Ray missed teaching and his students and later taught history and PE and coached basketball, soccer and track at Kenai Jr. High and coached football at KCHS until he retired in 1979. During retirement Ray spent time in McAllen, Texas; Flom, Minn.; and Trapper Creek, Wasilla and Anchorage, Alaska.

Some highlights of Ray's life included winning two basketball state titles and coaching his grandson Tyson Wetzel, travelling to London, Hawaii, Norway and Iceland, celebrating his 50th anniversary and renewing his wedding vows in the Tonjum family church in Laerdal, Norway, in 2002, being awarded the Ron Hammett Award for his volunteer work, and taking the Last Frontier Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., with his grandson Travis Wetzel in 2018.

Ray enjoyed watching sports, broadcasting sports, planting trees, feeding birds, reading, Suduko puzzles and volunteering for senior activities. Ray never met a stranger and was a friend to all.

Ray is survived by daughters, Lois Richey (Dr. David Richey) of Anchorage; Lori Johansen (Kent Johansen) of Flom; grandsons, Tyson Wetzel (Adrienne Roy) and Travis Wetzel (Jacquelyn Wetzel); great-grandchildren, Elijah Wetzel, Annika Wetzel, Rowen Wetzel, Remi Wetzel, Hank Geragotelis and Selah Ramirez; sister, Norma Pederson; special family, Jenny Wetzel Geragotelis; and special friend, Carol Krenselewski.

Ray is predeceased by wife, Delores Tinjum; parents; six siblings; granddaughter, Tara Lea Wetzel.

Place of interment will be the Atlanta Lutheran Church cemetery in Ulen, Minn., next to his wife Delores Tinjum and grandfather Jens Anderson Tinjum.

"A limb has fallen from the family tree that says grieve not for me. Remember the best times, the laughter, the song, the good life I lived when I was strong."