Ray loved being a New York City firefighter for 42 years, until his 9/11 cancers took him from us. He had planned to continue with the FDNY until his 65th birthday, but that was not to be.

On September 11, 2001, that awful day, Ray started working “the pile” and continued to do so for several weeks.

Ray was the son of a New York City firefighter and was extremely proud to follow in his father’s footsteps. He was even prouder when our son Robert followed him into the “family business.”

Ray had a deep friendship with our creator, was a raconteur of the first order, and had a memory that just did not quit.

Over the thirteen years that he developed seven different cancers, I never heard him complain but once, and that was when he had to give up his driver’s license. He loved to drive! In his youth, he raced his Chevy at a couple of tracks on Long Island and won several first-place trophies.

We were married for 47 years, and Ray is missed every single day!