Raymond Bergman Obituary

Raymond Ralph Bergman, age 86, of North Bend, Washington, passed away peacefully on Monday, July 28, 2025.

Devoted husband of Patricia Lee (nee Hartman), Ray and Pat were a team for more than 65 years of marriage. Ray cherished his family and was the proud father of Jeff R. Bergman (Katherine), Stacy L. Miller (Steven), and Kelly K. Harlin (Tom) and beloved grandfather of Dakota Miller, Dylan Miller, and Ruby Harlin as well as a fond Uncle and friend to many.

Born on December 1, 1938, to Ralph Brandur Bergman and Lillian Sigurlaug (nee Freeman) in Blaine, Washington, Ray was always fond of the community and proud of his Icelandic heritage. He was raised in Renton with his siblings, Duane (Patricia), Ron (Dee), Jon (Barb), and Joy Dalry (Doug).

With Pat's support and both working numerous jobs, Ray became the first member of his family to attend college obtaining a master's degree from Central Washington University to pursue his passion for teaching. He left a lasting impact on thousands of students over his 30-year career at Phantom Lake Elementary, Tillicum Junior High, Ringdall Junior High, and Tyee Middle School in the Bellevue school district. He enjoyed coaching students in track and especially tennis where he worked with numerous talented players including his daughters Stacy and Kelly. He often arranged adventures to Pike Place Market or Pioneer Square for students to learn about the history of Seattle and meet some of the people that made the community so special. Most of all, he was dedicated to making his students feel included, valued, and safe to learn and express themselves without judgement. His love of teaching and the influence his students had on his life was ever present as he often recounted stories of students and teaching.

In addition to his dedication to his family and students, Ray found joy in landscaping creating beautiful grounds at each of their homes culminating in a picturesque backyard where they retired in North Bend with color popping throughout the year, a quaint English garden, and a birch grove with a backdrop of evergreen trees and Mount Si.

Since Ray loved the great outdoors, the family kindly asks that in lieu of flowers, you consider a donation to Washington's National Parks Fund (https://wnpf.org/), the official philanthropic partner of Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks, or the Washington State Parks Association (https://waparks.org/) which delivers improvement projects to state parks, trails, and campsites.