Raymond "Babe" Boudreau

Raymond Boudreau, although you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who actually called him Raymond, was known simply as "Babe". And if you knew Babe, chances are you have a story. Probably several. And almost certainly at least one you shouldn’t tell in church or in a serious moment. Born in Hibbing, Minnesota, Babe eventually left home to join the United States Air Force. In true Babe fashion, he made his way across the country armed with a bucket of chicken, a few bucks in his pocket, and apparently enough confidence to figure the rest out when he got there. He served as an Air Force mechanic, beginning a lifetime of being able to fix just about anything. After his military service, Babe spent more than 40 years at U.S. Steel as a welder. But his job title hardly tells the story. He was known for cooking a mean mill breakfast and, more importantly, for being one of the most loved guys in the garage. Babe was simply that kind of person. The kind everyone knew. The kind everyone liked. The kind who could turn an ordinary day into a story people would still be laughing about decades later. To know Babe was to love him. To know Babe was also to laugh hard, often, and sometimes until your stomach hurt. He was larger than life, hysterically funny, endlessly entertaining, and completely, unmistakably himself. He loved his family fiercely. He also loved a cold Old Style, pizza, fishing trips, gun and knife shows, and the sacred institution of the bedtime snack... which, for the record, consisted of popcorn, ice cream, or cereal. No substitutions necessary. And then there was one of his longest-running hobbies: getting on his wife Debbie’s last nerve. He practiced faithfully and became exceptionally skilled at it over their 56 years of marriage. Fortunately for Babe, Debbie possessed the patience of a saint and loved him anyway. She also had LOTS of last nerves. Babe was the kind person childhood stories are made of. He taught lessons, created adventures, fixed things, cooked a mean frozen pizza, drove places, made people belly laugh, and occasionally left you wondering exactly how the adults had allowed any of it to happen. Life around Babe was rarely, if ever, boring. He was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and Marian “Dolly” Boudreau; his sister, Maureen “Rene” Larson; and his beloved brothers-in-law, Joe Boone and Jim Larson. He leaves behind his loving wife, Debra "Debbie" Boudreau; his daughters, Kelly (Dave) Clifford, Stacy (Jim) Witt, and his beautiful granddaughters, Allison Boudreau, Abigail Witt, Delaney Witt, and Emma Witt along with his sister Cindy Boone and MANY family, friends, coworkers, fellow troublemakers, and countless people lucky enough to have a Babe Boudreau story of their own. There really isn’t a polished, dignified sentence big enough to wrap up a life like his... so here goes nothing. Babe was larger than life. Life of the party. Funnier than hell. Loved beyond measure. And he will be missed beyond rational thought. So when you think of Babe, don’t just be sad. Tell the stories, but tell the inappropriate ones twice. Laugh until your stomach hurts. Go fishing. Eat the bedtime snack. Have the pizza. And, if you’re so inclined, crack open a cold Old Style for Babe. The family also wants to extend a heartfelt thank you to Lowell Healthcare for the exceptional care and love the dedicated to Babe and family over the years. Babe’s family invites you to join them at Burns Funeral Home & Crematory 10101 Broadway Crown Point, Indiana 46307 for a visitation on Monday, September 14, 2026, from 2:00 P.M. until the time of the funeral at 6:00 P.M. Rev. Thomas Clark officiating. Please visit Babe’s online guestbook and obituary at www.BurnsFuneral.com

Raymond "Babe" Boudreau

January 3, 1945 - September 3, 2026