Ray Stauffer Oberholtzer

Ray Stauffer Oberholtzer, 83, went to be with Jesus on Friday evening, September 26, 2025, after navigating a slow decline from heart failure. Ray was born on January 3, 1942, in Lancaster County, to Harold and Anna Mary (Stauffer) Oberholtzer, who preceded him in death. He is survived by his wife of almost 55 years, Dorothy Jane (Miller), as well as his children Heidi (and Mike) Lee (Phoenixville) and Chad (and Kate) Oberholtzer (State College), his five grandchildren (Lydia, Clarissa, Julia, Eliza, and Caleb), and his sister, Mary Ann Oberholtzer (Elizabethtown), as well as many cousins and extended family members. Obie, as he was known by friends and family, was a 1959 graduate of Hempfield High School, where he played four sports and performed the lead in the musical. He was a 1964 graduate of Franklin & Marshall College, where he readily admitted that he was a modest student and an even more modest athlete. He later served in the medical unit of the PA National Guard. Obie returned to his old stomping grounds at Hempfield, where he found his calling as an educator and coach. After completing a graduate degree at Temple University and teaching social studies for 25 years and coaching football, wrestling, and golf, he finished his career as a highly regarded athletic director at Hempfield for his remaining 10 years at the school. He treated everyone with dignity and respect, was generous with his time, and was loved by students and admired by colleagues. The same humble man who picked up trash after everyone had left the stadium also served in various leadership roles for the Lancaster-Lebanon League, using his warmth and congeniality to build consensus and cooperation. After retirement, Obie was honored to be inducted into the Hempfield Athletic Hall of Fame. As an extension of his work as an educator, Obie worked in his retirement years as a tour guide for visitors to Amish Country. He also faithfully served in various leadership roles at Community Bible Church (Marietta), ranging from Sunday school teacher, camp counselor, choir member, and shepherd leader to chair of both the elder board and the building committee. His hobbies included travel and playing golf and cribbage, though he ended up playing much more Sorry and Dutch Blitz after his grandchildren entered his world. Obie was a kind, helpful, honest, and loyal man, an epic storyteller with a booming voice, who could tell you where to find a good dessert on just about any road in Lancaster County. He had an excellent sense of humor, and he liked to make others laugh. He loved life. He loved being with people. He loved to learn and sing and serve and share and eat and work and play. He listened well. He loved his family and friends well. Most importantly, he loved Jesus. Obie was a good and decent man, a truly rare man of character. His passing leaves all who knew him a little poorer, but we are all so much richer for having known him. A memorial service will take place at Community Bible Church (331 Anderson Ferry Road, Marietta) at 4pm on Sunday, October 12, preceded by a time of visitation at 3pm. Obie would be honored by any contributions made, in lieu of flowers, to the Community Bible Church (for the Next 75 Fund), mailed to 331 Anderson Ferry Road, PO Box 180, Marietta, PA, 17547 or to Tandem Living (for the Benevolent Care Fund), mailed to Tandem Living at Woodcrest Villa, ℅ Kim Peters, 2001 Harrisburg Pike, Lancaster, PA, 17601. The recording of the livestream of the service is available to view here: https://www.youtube.com/live/QugGpHFUHHg

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Ray Stauffer Oberholtzer

January 3, 1942 - September 26, 2025