Obituary of Raymond Paul Hildebrandt

Hildebrandt, Raymond Paul -  Was born March 12, 1966, at St.Catharines General Hospital. Ray was the second oldest of four to Alfred and Tina Hildebrandt.

He was always a loveable and kind boy growing up, he enjoyed playing road hockey, tag, riding bikes and many other activities with his siblings and neighbourhood friends. During his school years, he was a good student and was involved in the travelling baseball team where he played back-catcher. He attended Eden Christian College from grades 9-12, and finished his grade 13 at Grantham High School. As a young man, he loved to attend concerts, college sports games, and the Reno Air Races with friends. He always had a love for history, planes, war stories and movies.

Ray’s first job was fruit picking in Niagara with the family and then in grade 9, when he was 15 years old, he started working hard and diligently as a cabinet door maker at MapleCraft Doors and was there for over 30 years. He then moved on to The Door Stop for the past 5 years. No matter where he worked, he was known for his constant good work ethic and loved by all he worked with. 

In the spring of 1999, Ray was introduced to a young woman and her two children. Without hesitation or question, he took this little family under his wing, and not many months later on October 9th, Ray and Elizabeth were married and he became a loving husband and father to Nikola and Nathan. They bought their first house in St. Catharines in 2001, and he made it into a wonderful home, enjoying tending to the large garden in the yard and playing with the children. Later that year they welcomed the arrival of their first born, Sophia Claire. In spring of 2004, their second, Owen Thomas, was born.

Ray was always ready to share his endless knowledge, of sports, history, music, the church and much more with anyone willing to listen. He could tell you all you need to know about college football, Georgia Bulldogs being his favorite. When it came to hockey, the only team worth chatting about was his team, Chicago Blackhawks, and he made sure his kids were well trained and dressed to cheer on the Hawks. And music? You knew when you heard Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin coming down your street that Ray was almost home. He took his children to concerts and cover bands so they would appreciate “good” music. If there is one other thing that you would know about Ray, if you knew him well, was his amazing baking and cooking abilities. From making a world class pie to a comforting pot of soup, his special ingredient was always Love.

Above all, Ray was always firm and grounded in his faith. He diligently brought up the family in the fear and admonition of the Lord, with daily prayer and family worship. He lived a life that was well-pleasing to our Heavenly Father. He was committed in his role
as a deacon at Living Hope OPC for many years and played an essential role in the church family.  He will always be remembered by his big heart, generous spirit, contagious laugh and love for God. As a husband, he was a loving and caring companion. As a father, he was a tenderhearted and Godly example. To many others in his life, he’s remembered for the joy he brought into a room, the wisdom he offered in a conversation, and the love he showed in all he did.

He is survived by his wife Elizabeth Hildebrandt and their four children, Nikola (Anthony) Massa, Nathan Bertenshaw, Sophia
and Owen Hildebrandt, as well as his parents Tina and Alfred Hildebrandt, his siblings Ted (Helen) Hildebrandt, Leonora (Dan)
VanEgmond, and Karen (James) Braun and their families.  Visitation and service to be held on Saturday January 12, 2019 at:
Trinity United Reformed Church, 99 Scott Street St. Catharines, ON L2N 1G8.  Visitation to begin at 12:00p.m. and service to follow at 1:00p.m. There will be a luncheon following the service and refreshments will be provided for those wishing to stay and visit with the family.

If desired, the family would appreciate memorial donations to Safe Families Canada Donate Option  (Please select 'Site Selection -  Niagara)