Ray Marowski

Ray Marowski

Loving husband, father, brother, and Papa

His incandescent smile lit every room

He will be missed by friends and family around the world

FT. MYERS, FL --- On February 29th, 2024, Raymond "Ray" Marowski, passed away peacefully at his home in Ft. Myers, FL. Ray was born in Olean, NY, on August 31st, 1941 to Joseph and Roseanne Schieler Marowski. He is survived by his children Lynn Marowski Brewer (Patrick) of Lexington, KY and Michael Raymond Marowski (Jaimee Yoshizawa) of Las Vegas, NV; grandchildren Ray Brewer of Boston, MA and Calbi Brewer of Los Angeles, CA; siblings Joe Marowski (Susan), Linda Williams (Rick) and Judy Hurd; and in-laws A.J. Calbi, Ann Schemerhorn (Bill) and Mary Cunningham. He was preceded in death by his parents, sisters Patricia Marowski and Nancy Williams, and his beloved wife and best friend Judy.

Ray often said he came from the "wrong side of tracks," but his charisma, cool charm and radiant smile caught the eye and ultimately won the heart of young Judy Calbi. The high school sweethearts married young and soon had their first child, Lynn. In a truly death-defying act, Ray and Judy decided to go with their hearts instead of their doctors' advice and went through a very dangerous pregnancy and birth that left Judy in the hospital for most of the first year of Lynn's life. Judy's mother, Marie "Doll" Calbi, took care of the baby during that first year. During that time, Ray drove more than 200 miles nightly in a Western New York circuit from college in Alfred to Buffalo to see Judy in the hospital and then to Olean to see his daughter before returning to school.

Three years later, Ray and Judy welcomed their son Michael. Mike took after his dad in many ways – hardworking, charismatic, caring and fearless. They shared a rebellious nature and a love for football that would take them from numerous Henry Clay High School games to annual pilgrimages to the NFL Pro Bowl in Hawaii, to watching games together at the Heritage Palms Tiki Bar.

Ray always helped take care of his family and was a hard worker. As a young boy, he and friends would regularly run the railroad tracks collecting coal to heat their homes. At age 11, he delivered milk with his dad. As a teenager he worked diligently at myriad jobs, including a dairy and a funeral home. As a young married man, he continued with that superior work ethic changing tires for Firestone until he had the money and opportunity to go to college, the first in his family to do so.

After earning his engineering degree, Ray was offered a position with IBM in Lexington, KY. He was an exceptional engineer with a successful 41-year career with IBM and Lexmark, retiring with numerous patents and his fingerprints on designs for many successful products. More remarkable than the technical work, he was truly gifted in his ability to develop great and long-standing relationships with coworkers and peers at partner and competitor companies, many of whom were in Japan, where he and Judy often traveled for work and pleasure.

Ray brightened every gathering. He was always the first to offer and deliver help to others. Judy and he traveled the world and made friends everywhere they went. It was often said that Ray could walk into any bar in the world and someone would know him. His personality and achievements are legend, but he was also deeply thoughtful and modest. We have often laughed through tears thinking about how pleased he would be that the anniversary of his death will only come once every four years!

While his keen mind, business acumen and exemplary diligence took him from the wrong side of the tracks in a tiny Western New York town to development labs and boardrooms in distant Japan, it was his love and care for Judy that defined him. During Judy's harrowing last fight, Ray's care was tireless; his love boundless. His dedication was nothing short of astounding. Even in mourning, his family and friends celebrate Ray and Judy's unique and loving relationship. Our pain is eased by the thought that they are again together, smiling ear to ear and cutting the rug with their masterful Jitterbug.

In lieu of a funeral service, the family will host a celebration of Ray's life, with music, dancing, pictures, stories and laughter, in the near future. Memorial contributions are suggested to Best Friends™ Adult Day Center, 5220 Grey Oak Lane, Nicholasville, KY 40356; or https://www.bestfriendsadultday.org/.