Raymond Buirch Sr., 77, a lifetime Bridgeton resident, passed away quietly at home after a lengthy illness on Saturday September 18, 2004. He was surrounded by his wife of fifty-seven years, Mary, and his children and grandchildren.
He was born in Bridgeton and was the son of the late Oscar and Edna Estlow Buirch. A lifelong Bridgeton area resident, he lived at his current address for fifty-five years.
Raymond was a U.S. Navy Veteran and had served as a Seaman 2nd Class during World War II. He was a master electrician and worked for twenty-five years at the P.J. Ritter Company in Bridgeton. He later was employed by Wheaton Industries in Millville for ten years before retiring.
Due to a heredity disease, he became blind at the age of fifty-five. His loss of eyesight, however, did not keep him from pursuing his greatest pastime, becoming an Amateur Ham Radio Operator. Under the call letters KB2BIG, he remained an active participant with several Ham Radio clubs. He manned the control center of operations for the Christmas Crime Unit at the Cumberland Mall and also served as a volunteer at the Sunset Lake Triathlon in Bridgeton. In addition, he worked at a number of local track and field events.