Marvin Lee Raesner, Sr. was born in Rosenberg, TX August 27th, 1929, and passed away April 15th at 85, at home in La Marque, with his beloved wife Mary Rita Smolcich Raesner there with him, whom he had married 61 years before on August 30th, 1953.

He was a native Texan, and lived all his life in Texas except when he joined the Air Force and was stationed at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, MS where his specialty was electronics and radar systems.  He mentioned, on more than one occasion, that joining the USAF was one of the best things he ever did since he met his future wife on a double-blind date.  His wife and family was the reason he did everything, and worked at Union Carbide in Texas City for 39 years, most of those years as an Analyzer Technician.

He converted to the Catholic faith, learned Catholicism with enthusiasm and passion, and relished the years he taught CCD classes at Queen of Peace Catholic Church.  He enjoyed bowling on teams for Union Carbide, was an electronics wizard, was a good baseball coach for the minor league teams his sons played for, was a great math tutor, a true super-handyman, and loved playing poker and Texas Hold’em for fun.

He is survived by his wife Mary, also known as Rita to most, his three sons Marvin Lee Jr., Dennis, and Brandan and wife Missie, daughter-in-law Lisa Chionsini, three grandchildren Megan, Matthew and Eric, one great-grandchild Mason, four step-grandchildren, seven step-great-grandchildren, sisters-in-law Pat and Elba Smolcich, and the rest of the Smolcich and Barry families including many nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held at the St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Biloxi, Mississippi on Monday, April 20, 2015 from 10:00am to 11:00am; a mass will start at 11:00am. Entombment to follow at the Old Biloxi Cemetery, Biloxi, Mississippi.