Patricia C Ray's Obituary
Patricia “Pat” Ray (nee McGrath) was a caring wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. She left this world on November 3, 2023, one week shy of her 86th birthday, at Trinity Rehabilitation Center, Trinity Florida, after a brief illness.
Born and raised in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, Pat attended St. John’s University, earning a degree in Education. It was in Brooklyn where she met James Ray. Their first date was at Kennedy’s Bar in Breezy Point Queens. They married on June 20, 1959, lived at first in Brooklyn, then moved to Staten Island in 1962. Looking for a home, they toured a model duplex and decided to buy… not even knowing the address of their brand-new home. The street sign was installed about a day after they moved in – Ray Street. It was meant to be! Ray Street was a wonderful place to raise a family - full of amazing neighborhood friends, many parties, celebrations, and great memories.
After many years of staying home to raise their four children, Pat returned to work. First at Sears, then as a Middle School teacher at St. Claire’s Catholic School, where she taught for 19 years. Pat taught math, which was not her favorite subject, but worked hard and became a highly respected teacher, bringing home more “Amazing Teacher” gifts from her students than we thought possible.
During this time - Pat and Jim would spend many evenings and weekends square dancing. What started as just a fun class with neighborhood friends became their favorite activity. Dressed in their best square-dancing attire, they hit the dance floor several times a week for years. They would travel to distant locations, study new dance steps, and truly found a home.
When Pat wasn’t square dancing or preparing lessons, she could be found in a comfy chair, under a good light, reading a book. She read thousands of books. Her love of reading was profound and lasted until the end – still taking weekly trips to the local library, discovering new books, and escaping into the pages for a few hours.
However, nothing made Pat happier than to see her family together enjoying each other’s company. She would often comment how she had raised “good kids” and seeing them all together brought her the most joy. A nice meal, good conversations, a funny story, and being with her growing family was all Pat needed to feel “so lucky”.
Patricia Ray was preceded in death by her husband of 61 years, James Ray, and is survived by her children Thomas and Shelia Ray (Thomas, Deirdre, and Christopher), Ellen and James Inganamorte (Nicole and Brent Morlock, Jamie and Chris Rick, and Jason) Kathy and Dennis Cassidy (Michael), Denise and Thomas Merrill (James and Kate) and great-grandchildren, Raymond and Joseph.
A celebratory mass will be held at St James Church in Woodbridge NJ on December 1, 2023, at 10:30 am.
Nothing would make Pat happier than a donation to your local library.
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