Ivan Raymond (Ray) Skoglund of Farmington, CT died at home on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 at the age of 101. Born on May 13, 1923 in Hartford, CT, Ray was the son of the late Ivan H. and Elsa Y. Skoglund. Given that his parents had emigrated from Sweden and the economic turmoil of that time, Ray grew up in both West Hartford, CT and Boras, Sweden, moving by steamship between the two countries a number of times. When the clouds of impending war loomed in Europe, Ray’s parents finally moved permanently back to the US where Ray graduated from Hall High School in West Hartford and then the University of Connecticut where he began his lifelong profession as a structural engineer. After serving in the US Army during World War II, Ray embarked on a wide-ranging career across the US (including a side trip as a forest firefighter in the US National Forests in California) with stints as an engineer on various construction projects culminating in his final career as a structural engineer at Combustion Engineering in Windsor Locks, CT. Around that time, he met his wife, Helen (Tejral) Skoglund and settled in Farmington to raise their two sons, Raymond F. Skoglund and Richard I. Skoglund, where both Ray and Helen were active in their community. Notably, in later life, Ray served steadfastly as Helen’s caregiver in her final years.

A consummate engineer, Ray relished in understanding how things worked and would spend countless hours taking anything of interest apart to understand how it worked and then successfully putting it back together again. He was also an avid DIYer and built an addition to his house, largely by himself. Attributing to his vigorous longevity was a love of being outside, in particular, he reveled in the challenge of golf, and fishing and boating in the warmer months as a resident of the Giants Neck Beach section of Niantic. In the winter, Ray loved to X-country ski, and indeed went skiing this past winter at the age of 101. Ray also was an active and enthusiastic member of the First Church of Christ, Congregational in Farmington including as a long-standing member of the Building and Grounds Committee and drove himself to church all the way up to 99 years old.

Ray was predeceased by his wife Helen and his sister, Esther Lindwall, and is survived by his two sons, Raymond and Richard, and his daughter-in-law Jennifer and his two grandchildren Bodie and Sloane.

The Skoglund Family would like to thank the home health aides and visiting nurses that provided exceptional care which allowed Ray to live at his home with dignity until the end.

A funeral will be held at the Meetinghouse of the First Church of Christ, Congregational, 75 Main St, Farmington, Connecticut on April 27, 2025 at 1:00 pm, with a reception to follow in the Sarah Porter Memorial. Burial will be private at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation in Ray’s memory to the First Church of Christ of Farmington Congregational Care Fund.