In Memory of Raymond Gordon Wenzel

02/11/1943 –

05/27/2025

Williamsport native, Raymond Gordon Wenzel peacefully passed away May 27, 2025 in his home surrounded by his family and friends after a prolonged illness.

As one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, he was an avid Bible student and enjoyed sharing the good news of God’s Kingdom with others. He served as a Christian elder since 1973 devoting himself to helping people spiritually. He had the privilege of giving encouraging Bible talks throughout the region and before thousands at annual conventions. He also oversaw the construction of the local Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses on Cemetery Road which was completed by volunteers in 1980.

Raymond’s love for photography grew from working with his father Gordon in the photography lab at Hoyer’s Photo Supply. As a result, in high school he began photographing for the Cherry + White magazine. After winning a national award from Scholastic Magazine and Eastman Kodak for a photo he took on a family vacation in Wildwood NJ, he said: “maybe I can make a career out of photography, something that I already love doing.”

After graduating from Williamsport High School in 1961, he then began a career as a professional photographer spanning fifty years. For over 30 years, he worked as a photojournalist (Chief Photographer Williamsport Sun Gazette 1965-1979; Chief photographer The Sunday Grit 1979-1997) documenting the region’s most memorable stories and sporting events (including Little League Baseball world series) as well as prominent people in entertainment, politics and sports. He helped to found the North Central Pennsylvania Professional Photographers Association where he often served as President and won numerous state and national photography awards.

In 1998, Raymond and his beloved wife Michelle opened Creative Images a full-service portrait studio in South Williamsport where they documented the graduating seniors, families and weddings of area resident’s until retiring in 2010, making a lot of friends along the way.

Raymond dearly loved his family. In 1962, he married his high school sweetheart Michelle and they would have celebrated their 63rd anniversary next month. Together they loved studying the Bible, bike riding, annual vacations to the beach and photographing lighthouses along the east coast. He was proud of both of his sons who worked with him at the Grit covering photo assignments and how Gordon went on to open his own photo studio and carries his legacy forward by teaching photography at Susquehanna University. Raymond also was thrilled that his granddaughter Sierra also recently started her own business as a fourth-generation accomplished photographer.

He is proceeded in death by his parent’s Gordon and Margaret Wenzel and his son Christopher Wenzel. He is survived by his wife Michelle, his sister Lorraine Snyder and her husband Charles, his son Gordon and his wife Cheryl and granddaughter Sierra.

He will be dearly missed by friends and family.

There will be a public visitation Thursday June 5 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at McCarty Thomas Funeral Home 733 Broad St. Montoursville and celebration of his life at a public Memorial service on at 2 p.m. on June 7 at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses 773 Cemetery Road in Williamsport.

Arrangements have been entrusted to McCarty Thomas Funeral Home, Montoursville.

The family will provide the flowers and suggest memorial contributions to JW.org.

Expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family at mccartythomas.com.