Obituary of Raymond Alexander Karam

RAYMOND ALEXANDER KARAM 1929-2009 Raymond was born on October 12, 1929, in Nogales, Arizona, the fourth and youngest child of Ramona and Joseph Karam, proud members of prominent Lebanese and Spanish families whose strength, ingenuity, and determination enabled them to grow and prosper. Throughout his life, Raymond looked up to his grandfather, parents, aunts, and uncles who had succeeded in the fields of business, law, education, and social work, all while making valuable contributions to their church and community. When Raymond was less than two years old, his mother passed away, and he and his brother Joseph and sisters Margaret and Eleanor were taken under the loving care of their Aunt Janet. When he was ten, his father married Victoria and the family moved to Los Angeles, where soon his little sister - Virginia - was born. He was especially close to his brother and sisters, who were playmates, mentors, and, in later years, dear companions. Raymond grew up in a close-knit family that valued faith, education, and service - values which guided him throughout his life. Raymond had a distinguished academic and professional career. He graduated from Loyola High School in Los Angeles and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Class of 1955. While an Air Force officer, Raymond earned a Masters of Public Administration at Harvard University, taught political science at the Air Force Academy, served two tours of duty as a fighter pilot in Vietnam, and graduated from - and then taught at - the National War College. After 20 years of distinguished military service, Raymond retired to continue his public service career as a civilian, first in the Executive Branch and finally in the Judicial Branch. He held senior executive positions in the Department of the Interior, the Department of Transportation, and the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. During this period, Raymond also graduated with Honors from the National Law Center at the George Washington University and was admitted to the Virginia Bar. Although he never sought the spotlight, colleagues and superiors recognized his contributions and, as a result, he received numerous performance and distinguished-rank awards, including the Presidential Rank Award in 1986. When asked about these awards for a Washington Post feature article, he shared his favorite quote: "Government service is both enobling and noble. It greatly benefits the individual and is socially useful work." In the tradition of the Karam family, Raymond's primary focus was on his family and his faith. He was a dedicated husband, father, brother, uncle, cousin, and grandfather. As the first Karam to plant his roots on the East Coast, he joyfully welcomed all relatives who visited the DC area, and lovingly supported those who decided to stay. When he said "Call me if you need me," everyone knew that he meant it and that he was ready to offer a kind word, money, a place to stay, or whatever he could to help. He, along with his beloved wife Emily, cared for aging relatives in their home, putting into practice the family value "we take care of our own." As President of M. Karam & Sons - the family corporation established by his grandfather in Nogales - he strived to make the corporation both a financial success to support the needs of the family and a means to bring the family closer together. Raymond also dedicated his time and talents to many community causes. He spent evenings and weekends leading the Boy Scouts of Troop 1313, teaching them not only about camping and hiking, but constantly challenging them to think about what they wanted to be , not just what they wanted to do . After graduating from the Education for Parish Service program at Trinity College, he gave his time to the St. John Neumann community by training altar servers, serving on the Budget Committee, fundraising for the building project, and assisting with the accounting for weekly collections. Raymond leaves behind many family and friends who loved him dearly, learned from him, laughed with him, and will be forever grateful for the blessing of his presence in their lives.