Raymond Fornadley

Raymond (Ray) Fornadley, age 95, of Columbus, OH, passed away on Tuesday, October 21, 2025 surrounded by his loving family at his residence in hospice care. Ray was born on May 26, 1930 in Clearfield, Pennsylvania to Martin and Mary Fornadley. Ray was preceded in death by his loving wife of almost 50 years Lois Fornadley, sister Mary Ann Litz, brother Gene, and brother Tom. He is survived by his son Michael (Mary) Fornadley, daughter Michele (Frank) Finelli, grandchildren Nicki (Pete) Chapman, Kyle (Andrea) Finelli, Luke Fornadley, Taryn Finelli, and great-grandson Roman Finelli. He is also survived by his brother Bernie (Tina) Fornadley and sister-in-law Kathy Fornadley.

Upon graduation from high school, Ray enlisted in the Air Force on September 1947. He was stationed in Alabama, England, Illinois, Japan, North Carolina, Ohio, and Thailand. He retired in August of 1969 as a Senior Master Sergeant. Following his retirement from the Air Force, Ray worked as a safety engineer for Traveler's Insurance and retired in 1990.

Ray was a devout Catholic and a long time parishioner at St. Pius X Catholic Church. He ushered at the 8:00am Mass. Ray was also an avid volunteer, including Blacklick Woods Metro Park, John Glenn Columbus International Airport, and Motts Military Museum. He was a very handy person who assisted his family with various projects. Additionally, he enjoyed playing dominos, solitaire, crossword puzzles, golf, and walking in nature.

Special thanks to all the staff at StoryPoint Pickerington and CorsoCare. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Ohio Wildlife Center: https://ohiowildlifecenter.org/donate/.

Following Ray's wishes, the family is doing a private entombment at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery.

Pfeifer Woodyard Funeral Home has been entrusted with all arrangements.

Dad, Gramps, Papa, Ray

A solid force, dedicated, dependable, and forever loving.

Quick with a smile wreathed in bushy silver brows and a kind face.

Welcoming and warm with a heart of gold that invited everyone in.

Willing to listen, and share wisdom, with the right amount of stubborn advice.

Always in our hearts, your love is not gone, it is just different.

We will find you in a game of dominoes, a shared glass of scotch, a quiet stroll down a wooded path.

We will celebrate the life you lived and the life you shared with everyone around you.