Raymond Polley
(1921 - 2018)
Obituary
Raymond Thomas Polley, 97, of Overland
Park, died Tuesday (Oct. 30, 2018). He was Chief Train Dispatcher for
the Santa Fe Railroad and Chief Radioman in the United States Naval
Reserve. Ray was born Sept. 21, 1921, in Topeka, the son of John and
Theresa (Holtgraver) Polley. He married Jolene Mann on Oct. 30, 1962,
in Miami, Oklahoma.
He attended Branner Elementary, Lincoln
Middle School and graduated from Topeka High School. Ray worked as a
messenger for the Western Union Telegraph in Topeka from 1935-1941
and served an apprenticeship with the Santa Fe Railroad in Marion to
become a telegraph operator, relief agent and train dispatcher, and
retired as Chief Dispatcher in Emporia in 1981.
He joined the Navy in 1942 and served
four years during WWII then remained in the Naval Reserve, drilling
at centers in Wichita, Hutchinson, Emporia and Topeka. During WWII,
he was stationed aboard the USS Hissem DE-400 and spent nine months
on Guadalcanal.
He was a life member of the American
Legion Post 274 in Herman, Nebraska, and commander and life member of
VFW Post 971 in Newton and Post 1980 in Emporia. He was chairman of
the Harvey County Draft Board (Newton). He was an amateur radio
operator (K0JDB) and was past president and helped organize the
Newton Amateur Radio Club and Emporia Amateur Radio Society. He was a
volunteer repairing Talking Books cassette machines for the Library
of Congress (1982-2001).
He was preceded in death by five
sisters: Dorothy Laswell, Martha Polley, Lillian Doel, Bernice
Luttrell and twin sister Ruth Graves; and a great-grandson, Maverick
Polley
He is survived by his wife of 56 years,
Jolene (Mann) Polley; two sons, Ray A. Polley of Wichita and Tim
(Cathy) Polley of Newton; daughter Gilda (Brian) Viets of Overland
Park; and three grandchildren, Jack Polley, Conner Viets and Erin
Viets.
A memorial service will be held at 1
p.m. Saturday (Nov. 10, 2018) at Brookdale Overland Park (119th),
6101 W. 119th St., Overland Park.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are
suggested to All Veterans Memorial Park, Emporia, in care of the
funeral home. You can leave online condolences at
www.robertsblue.com.
