Raymond Sheldrake

RAYMOND SHELDRAKE
ITHACA - Raymond Sheldrake, formerly of Trumansburg, died on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 in Sun City, FL.
Born in Prospect Park, NJ on September 7, 1923. His education began in the public schools of Hawthorne, NJ and was completed in the Vocational Agriculture Department of Central High School in Paterson, NJ in 1942.
After serving three years with the Army Engineers in the European theater of operations, he returned to Rutgers University from which he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture and Agricultural Education in June of 1949.
At the time of graduation from Rutgers, he was appointed to a graduate research assistantship in the Division of Vegetable Crops at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, NY. He received his Master of Science degree in September 1950 and Doctor of Philosophy in June of 1952 from Cornell University. His major field of study was Vegetable Crops with minors in Plant Pathology and Soils.
Upon graduation from Cornell in 1952, he was appointed as Vegetable Specialist in the Extension Service at the University of Georgia. He served in this position until July of 1954, at which time he accepted a position in the Department of Vegetable Crops as an Assistant Professor at Cornell University. On April 1, 1957, he was advanced to the rank of Associate Professor and has served on the Graduate Faculty since that time. On July 1, 1969, he became a full Professor in the Department of Vegetable Crops at Cornell University.
During this time, he was in a research field, but was called upon considerably to assist out in the field by greenhouse growers. His major fields of interest were in plastics for agriculture, artificial soils, plant nutrition, and the overall systems approach to protected cultivation or controlled environmental agriculture.
Dr. Sheldrake retired from Cornell on January 1, 1979, and was advanced to the rank of Professor Emeritus.
After his early retirement he founded and became the director of the Sheldrake Research Center in Ithaca and the chief consultant for W.R. Grace & Co. on soil development and plant nutrition.
Ray and his wife Elsie H. Sheldrake founded and established the Early Bird Farm in 1959, located on Elmira Road in Ithaca. It was a retail greenhouse and road stand market which is still growing at the present time.
After his "fall from grace", as he put it (retirement from W.R Grace), Ray retired to a home he built on Pennsylvania Avenue in Trumansburg, NY. He later moved to Florida-Palmetto, then to Sun City Center.
Ray is remembered by his many friends and colleagues as the "Flying Professor". He was a private pilot and owned several airplanes. He would often fly his own plane to speaking engagements and consulting jobs as well as family vacations.
Among his many accomplishments, he will be remembered for being the father of the plastic greenhouse and developing the peatlite mix (along with Jim Boodley), that is now used world-wide! He also will be remembered for his work on plastic mulch for field vegetables, drip irrigation, soluable plant fertilizer, growing in bags, plant growth regulators and much more.
Dr. Sheldrake was a great speaker and was knowledgeable in a wide variety of topics in the Veg-Crops and Floriculture Industry. Few people will ever forget his lively talks.
He is survived by his sons, Gregory R. Sheldrake and George A. Sheldrake, both of Ithaca, and his daughters, Barbara Bendzunas of Comer Georgia, and Connie O'Connell of Mooresville, North Carolina. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Cameron and Cody Sheldrake of Ithaca, Elizabeth, Paul and George Bendzunas of Georgia, and Heather Scrip of Ithaca and Michael Scrip of North Carolina. Ray was preceded in death by his wife, Elsie in 2002.
A memorial service will be held at 2:30pm on Friday, October 31, 2008 at Annabel Taylor Hall on the campus of Cornell University.
Covert Funeral Home, 7199 Main Street, Ovid has assisted the family with arrangements. www.covertfuneralhome.com.