John Alvin Raymaley

John Alvin Raymaley, 89, died peacefully at his home in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio on February 2, 2026. He was born on April 22, 1936 to Benjamin and Sara Frater Raymaley in Harrison City, Pennsylvania.

He attended Penn Joint High School and graduated from Heidelberg College where he was a member of the Heidelberg Concert Choir and Sigma Tau Nu fraternity. After he completed his master’s degree from Teachers College, Columbia University, he began his classical singing career in New York City. He sang with the Choral Arts Society and New York Philharmonic under the direction of Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein.

John was a vocal music teacher for over thirty years in New York and Ohio. He began his teaching career at Mohawk High School and later taught at Carey High School and Wynford Local Schools. In addition to teaching music and directing school choirs, he also coached high school baseball and football. He was an assistant coach for the Carey High School football team when they won the 1975 Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) Class A State Championship. He was also an assistant coach for the Wynford High School baseball team when they were the 1982 OHSAA Class AA State Tournament Runner-Up.

An active member of his community, he directed and sang with many church and community choirs and served as the music director for many community theater productions. He was a co-founder and a longtime director of the Carey Ecumenical Choir, which celebrated its 50th anniversary concert in 2024. He was also a member of the Kiwanis Club. He spent many years restoring the 1858 farmstead in which he raised his family and enjoyed woodworking, opera and choral music, and watching the Pittsburgh Steelers.

John is survived by his wife of 59 years, Tacy Wenner Raymaley; his son, Craig Raymaley and his daughter, Wendy Raymaley-Hoffman, son-in-law, Adam Hoffman; grandson, Maxwell Hoffman; sister, Carole Alcorn, and brother, Ben Raymaley. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Cassie (Ronald) Kromer; nephews, John (Jane) Alcorn and Brandon (Brenda) Kromer, niece, Courtney Kromer (Dennis) Jones, and many great-nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his father-in-law Dr. H. R. Wenner, mother-in-law Mary Frances Wenner, brother-in-law George Alcorn, nieces Georgia Alcorn Alberter and Kristie Kromer Boes, and his brother’s longtime partner, Robin Lauffer.

Funeral services will be held on SATURDAY, March 14 at 11:00 a.m. at Christ Church Episcopal, 21 Aurora Street, Hudson, Ohio. Friends and family will be received at a reception following the service. Interment will follow at a later date in Woodlawn Cemetery – Denmark Manor in Export, Pennsylvania. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Carey Ecumenical Choir, c/o Anthony Gallina, Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation, 315 Clay Street, Carey, Ohio 43316.

Services in care of the Billow Funeral Homes and Crematory, 1907 23 Rd. St. Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44223 (Billow FALLS Chapel)