Obituary of Warren C. Raiter

Warren was born on March 24, 1919 in Alexandria, Minnesota. His family moved to California when he was six. Warren graduated from Van Nuys High School and attended UCLA where he was in ROTC. When WW II started he went to OCS and was stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. There he was chosen to teach air craft identification. While in El Paso, he met the love of his life, Phyllis McGreevy. They were married October 3, 1944. Warren was sent to Italy during occupation and represented his base at a ping pong championship in Rome. When Warren returned home, he completed his education at the University of Southern California and remained a loyal Trojan fan. Warren and Phyllis settled in Van Nuys and raised their three children. Warren spent 30 years selling Encyclopaedia Britannica. His outgoing personality and charm made him the top salesman in the United States many times. In 1984 Warren and Phyllis moved to Santa Barbara. They loved to travel, play bridge, and dance to the Big Bands. Warren joined the Cosmopolitan Club and was in charge of bridge for many years. Warren loved golf and had a hole in one at age 80. Warren cherished his family and friends. He was always cheerful and generous with compliments. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.Warren died peacefully on July 9, 2013 at Villa Santa Barbara. He is survived by his wife Phyllis, his daughter Robyn Smith and son Christopher Raiter of Santa Barbara, and his son Richard Raiter (Maripat) of Boston. He is also survived by his grandchildren Kristy (Eric), Laura, Sita, and Colin (born on Warren's 80th birthday) and great-granddaughters Kylie, Sydney, Phebe, and Isa. A celebration of Warren's life will be held at Villa Santa Barbara, 227 E. Anapamu Street, on Saturday, July 27th at 2:00 pm.