Ray Ulriksen

1939 - 2026

 Reverend Raymond Edwin Ulriksen, passed away in Lethbridge and quietly went to be with his Heavenly Father on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at the end of a long struggle with vascular dementia, at the age of 86 years.

Ray was born in 1939, to Frede and Sally Ulriksen of Parry, Saskatchewan and grew up as a “farm boy” with a very strong work ethic. He never lost his love of growing things or interest in exploring a new place, often traveling down an obscure road just to see where it went.

Ray attended Briercrest Bible College and later graduated from Canadian Bible College. He spent the vast bulk of his life pastoring churches in several communities from Alberta to Manitoba.

Ray met Iris at Briercrest Bible College, and they were married in 1963. They had three children, daughters Debbie and Barb and a son Corwin.

Ray loved visiting, he wasn’t shy or taciturn! He loved traveling, reading, cultivating gardens, planting trees and watching sports, particularly Saturday Night Hockey while polishing his dress shoes for Sunday morning! He also loved sweets and baked goods. Somehow the buckets of Christmas cookies in the freezer awaiting the special day didn’t arrive there quite as full as they had been.

When he retired, Ray and Iris moved to Abbotsford, British Columbia to fulfill a long time dream of living in BC, enjoying long growing seasons and ample local fruit! However, this didn’t stop him from wanting to travel everywhere their car could go and every summer saw several excursions to as many places as he could possibly jam in to each trip.

In 2020, there was a move from Abbotsford to Lethbridge, to be nearer to his eldest daughter for support as cognitive decline became a difficulty for both Ray and Iris.

Ray will be privately remembered by his wife, both daughters and their husbands, two grandchildren and their spouses, two great grandchildren and by several brothers, in-laws and more nieces and nephews than one can keep track of!