Raymond A. Smith, 89, of Queensbury, NY, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, December 26, 2023, at the Fort Hudson Nursing Center.
Born on June 15, 1934, in Glens Falls, NY, he was the son of the late George Lester Smith and Julia "Mae" O'Connell Smith. He graduated from St. Mary's Academy in 1953 and shortly thereafter joined the United States Army and was stationed in South Korea.
After his return from Korea in 1955, Ray met his future wife, Joann B. Lemery at a local dance hall and they married on September 20, 1959, at St. Alphonsus Church in Glens Falls. They spent 41 years together raising their five children: Lisa, Gregory, Jeffrey, Robert, and Ryan in Queensbury until Joann's passing in August of 2000.
Ray began his long work career as a lab technician at many of the local factories including The Imperial Paper and Color Corporation, Hercules, Ciba-Geigy and finally Finch-Pruyn where he retired in 2005. Ray was a very hard worker in support of his family and until his later years, also bartended on the weekends at many of the local "watering holes", including The Pub and Roaring Brook Ranch.
Ray loved his family and friends and enjoyed spending time with them, sharing his stories and searching for that next laugh. Ray was a wonderful storyteller. He had an uncanny ability to recall people, events and stories from his youth and each time he shared those stories it made you feel as if you lived through them as well.
Ray's other loves were his NY Yankees, golf with family and friends, and pretending to be George Steinbrenner when he was General Manager of his many golf league teams over a span of 50 years at Sunnyside Par 3. His teams were league champs multiple times, and he even had a hole-in-one.
Besides his parents and wife, Ray was predeceased by his brother, G. Emmett Smith, and step-grandchild, Donald James "Jimmy" Clute.
Survivors include his brother, Robert (Ellen) Smith; his children: Lisa Ricketts, Gregory Smith, Jeffrey Smith, Robert (Wanda) Smith and Ryan Smith; 6 grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Family and Friends may call from 10:00 A.M.- 12:00 P.M. on Saturday, January 13, 2024, at Regan, Denny, Stafford Funeral Home at 53 Quaker Road, Queensbury, NY.
Burial will be private and at the convenience of the family in the Spring.
As an option in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Double H Ranch, 97 Hidden Valley Road, Lake Luzerne, NY 12846.