Ray E. Cragun

Ray E. Cragun, 67 passed away on October 26, 2023, at Presbyterian Rust Medical Center, Rio Rancho after being hospitalized for 11 days. He was born on December 23, 1955, in Albuquerque N.M. to John and Rita. He was preceded in death by his father, John Cragun and stepfather Joseph Steinbeck. He is survived by his wife, Bibsie, and daughter Cody, his mother Rita, his older sister Rita-Ann Sanchez, and her husband Greg Sr., his nieces Kelly Cowan her husband Troy and son Joshua, Nicole Baker and her daughter Hayley, his nephew Greg Sanchez Jr. and sons Mateo, Damion, and Darrion.

He won his first City Men’s Amateur in 1972 when he was in senior high school at West Mesa High School Albuquerque. He was the only golfer to have won the men’s New Mexico Amateur title five times (1972-1976). He was a college all American at UNM, he won the Conrad Open and qualified for the US open three times. He enlisted in the US army for 4 years and during that time he won the going away golf tournament. After his honorable discharge in the Army, he worked as a Club Professional at Tijeras Arroyo in Kirtland Air Force Base, then in Roswell and in Grants. He won the San Juan open in 1991 and won the New Mexico open at the UNM Championship Course in 1995. After playing the Asian Golf Tour for a few years, he decided to go work for the United States Forces in South Korea managing Clubs and Golf Courses. He was the general manager at Camp Casey Golf Club in Dongduchon for 3 years, SungNam Golf Course in Seoul for a year and moved to Camp Walker in Daegu managing the Evergreen Green Golf Club for 14 years. He retired in February 2017, came back to New Mexico, and lived in Rio Rancho with his wife and daughter until he passed away.

He lived his life the way he liked it.

 His Funeral inurnment service will be at Mt. Calvary Cemetery Albuquerque, NM on November 15, 2023 at 1:00pm.