Dr. Anthony Louis Rayer

Dr. Anthony Louis Rayer, 71, of Devils Lake, ND and formerly of Babbitt and Ely, MN died the morning of May 17, 2012. A Memorial Service for Dr. Rayer will be held on Thursday, May 24th at 2:00 p.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Devils Lake with Fr. Dale Kinzler officiating. Military Honors will be accorded by the Neathery-Simensen Post #756, Devils Lake Veterans of Foreign Wars and the North Dakota Military Funeral Honors Team. Dr. Rayer was born on August 9, 1940 in Ely, MN, the first son of Anthony and Ann (Vidmar) Rayer. Dr. Rayer spent his entire childhood in Ely where he attended elementary and secondary school, as well as junior college. After receiving his Associates of Arts degree from Vermillion Community College, Dr. Rayer enrolled in the University of Minnesota where he earned both Bachelor of Arts and Doctor of Medicine degrees. Upon completion of his medical training, Dr. Rayer served as a medical officer in the United States Army eventually obtaining the rank of Major. He served as a flight surgeon and was primarily based at Fort Rucker near Montgomery, Alabama. Dr. Rayer was honorably discharged from the Army in 1971. Upon completion of his military service, Dr. Rayer moved to Babbitt, MN where he practiced family medicine for nearly twenty years. In addition to serving the community of Babbitt as a medical doctor, Dr. Rayer held several community positions, including President of the Babbitt School Board and was recognized as the town’s Citizen of the Year in 1984. In 1988, Dr. Rayer moved from Babbitt to practice medicine in North Dakota. Eventually settling in Devils Lake, Dr. Rayer spent the remainder of his life practicing family and emergency room medicine in the Devils Lake region. Dr. Rayer was a lover of the outdoors and a great reader of history. He was a passionate animal lover and adored all pets especially his English bulldogs. Dr. Rayer was also a devoted father and grandfather despite the great distance that separated him from his children and grandchildren. He was always known as the best grandpa around. Dr. Rayer is survived by a brother Bill Rayer of Harlingen, TX, as well as his children Michael Rayer of Harris, MN; Benjamin Rayer of Philadelphia, PA; Jennifer Rayer Bender of Philadelphia, PA and Sarah Rayer of Washington, DC, and grandchildren Katherine Rayer (Michael Rayer), Grace, Chloe and Willem Rayer (Benjamin Rayer) and Jonathan Bender (Jennifer Rayer Bender). His first wife and his children’s mother, Marianne Bartovich Rayer, preceded Dr. Rayer in death.