Raymond C Toney Sr.

Raymond Cornelius Toney, Sr. was born on July 5, 1936 in Ozark, Alabama to the late C.T. Toney and Dola Mae Colson Toney. He was the seventh child of eight children born to this union. God called him home on April 22, 2019 at the age of 82.  He lived to be the oldest male in his family.

Raymond accepted Christ at an early age and devoted his life to the ministries God planned for him. He deeply touched the lives of his family, friends and countless others during his life journey.

Raymond served as a Naval Petty Officer, United States Navy as a Hospital Corpsman and was honorably discharged in 1957.  He continued to serve as a drilling reservist in various Army and Naval Units for a number of years.  Raymond completed his Baccalaureate and Masters degrees from Tuskegee (Institute) University in Tuskegee, Alabama in Social Science and Human Resources. He graduated with honors, was a member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity and served as faithful alumni.

Raymond challenged the civil service examination and achieved one of the highest scores ever accomplished by an African American in the state of Alabama.  He excelled during his initial training as a civil servant, and earned an opportunity within the Veterans’ Administration (VA) Human Resource Services as a human resource specialist.  He applied himself to his field, mastering the intricate laws, policies, federal regulations, and procedures related to employment, advancement, budgeting and staffing of personnel within the Veterans Administration. This early distinction brought him to the attention of the Nixon administration, and an opportunity to serve in one of the most challenging and demanding programs within the Veterans Administration.  He was placed in the “eye of the storm” within the Civil Rights Movement, segregation, and equal opportunity programs of the federal government and civil service.  He served with distinction during the Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan administrations, assuring that the men and women of our armed forces received the entitlement related to service in the United States.  He earned countless honors and awards during his service.

Raymond was 49 years old when he retired from the Veterans Administration.  He served in numerous offices in the highest executive positions.  He was very proud of his many accomplishments as an African American “Trail-Blazer,” improving opportunities for minorities and underserved populations seeking access to and career advancement in the Veterans’ Administration services. Beyond retirement, he continued employment in a variety of fields that included security services and financial services. He believed in educational development and established a scholarship fund to assist younger members of the family.

During his graduate studies at Tuskegee University, Raymond met and later married the love of his life, Dorothy S. Toney. On July 6, 2018, they were blessed to celebrate 55 years of marriage. Together, they raised three children within their household: Raymond, Jr., Sheila and Sherry. He offered love and tremendous support to his children during their childhood and adult lives.

Raymond leaves to cherish precious memories—his children, Raymond C. Toney, Jr (Wife-Charlotte) of Copenhagen, Denmark; Sheila Green (Husband-Edward) of Baltimore, MD; Sherry Pierce of Baltimore, MD; grandchildren:  Adrienne N. Pinckney (Husband-Mondeario) of Bear, DE; Dustin L. Green of Los Angeles, CA; Freja and Adda of Copenhagen, Denmark; great grandchildren:  Mondeario II, Maya and Mackenzie; his sisters:  Stella Toney Whitehead, Mary Toney May and Joyce Toney Henry (Husband-Cleveland); and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and other relatives and friends.

In addition to his parents, Raymond is preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy; three sisters (Exie, Iris and Hazel); and one brother (James).

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