Ray passed away at home with Jeri December 2nd—nearly three years after a stage 4 cancer diagnosis, and 15 years later than he ever expected to live. He will be sorely missed, but never forgotten. In lieu of flowers, please consider contributing to Meeting Essential Needs with Dignity (MEND), the South Orange Rescue Squad, or your local food bank.
Preston Funeral Home has details on the wake (Sunday, December 6th, 2-6 pm) and funeral mass (Monday, December 7th, at 10:30 am) HERE. The mass will be livestreamed and available for viewing at any time HERE.
Want to send a tribute for posting or private? Email Tom at tom@thomasjfox.com. He’ll link to a tribute page shortly. Click image below to change slides.
“Aunt Jeri, Tracy, and Tom. My deepest condolence to your family. As you are all aware Uncle Ray was, and I believe will continue to be, a loving influence and mentor to his love ones. Aunt Jeri, I have always considered and thought Uncle Ray and you to be one person. I never ever remember using either of your names without the other. Very simply, a match made in heaven. I cannot imagine the loss you will all feel. Fortunately, you and Uncle Ray have lived a great life and have established a family unit with exceptional values and love. Please do not hesitate to reach out to your family and friends as you grieve. Tracy and Tom, you do know that you had the best Dad in the world, his love, values and mentorship is reflected in each one of you and your children. As his nephew I must admit that I cherish the same love, values and mentorship he and Aunt Jerri willingly shared with me, and my siblings and my family. I want to thank you again Uncle Ray and Aunt Jeri for listening, providing guidance and being so influential in my adolescent years. Uncle Ray’s intelligence, humor, and smile was a Ray of sunshine to any room he entered. I truly believe a piece of Uncle Ray exists in each and every one of us. I feel privileged to have been loved by such an exceptional human being. Yes, he will be missed, but I believe he is no longer in pain, and he is continuing his journey. Love you Uncle Ray. - Kelly and Ken Fox”
“Uncle Ray was kind, caring and always made me feel so special and loved (By the way, he gave the best hugs). He was witty, funny and had a laugh that was contagious and filled the room. He always seemed to have a good time wherever he went and was the person that people gravitated to. He was also there for us during difficult times to listen at give guidance. Uncle Ray will truly be missed, we were all blessed to have him in our lives. – Love, Peggy, Billy, Marissa, and Tommy Cope”
“What started with a Brooklyn “how you doing?” to a 20 year friendship. Ray you will be missed. Love, David, Karen David Jr., and Michael Mineo”
“Our paths met throughout the last 50+ years at weddings, family parties, welcoming new babies to the clan and lunches in Mattituck and other beautiful homes they chose. I so admired Jeri and Ray’s life choices and dedication to family. Each new location was transformed into a garden paradise designed by Ray with Jeri’s assistance ( I think). I adored Ray and would enjoy watching him throw Jeri around the dance floor at any given opportunity. What fun they had together! Ray Fox, a gentleman and a scholar... you led a marvelous life and will be truly missed. Marylou Austin-Nichol”
“RAY FOX: A MANY-DIMENSIONAL MAN
Our friendship goes back more than 60 years to a fraternity at Queens College. Ray was the Best Man at our wedding and proposed to Jeri at the reception. We visited each other’s homes through the years and watched and worried as our children grew and grandchildren were born. Family and friends were very important to Ray.
Holidays were special in the Fox homes. Ray loved to decorate and host special events. There were certain specialties he cooked and you could see immediately that Ray was an artist in the way he decorated. His artwork was wonderful . be it drawing, sculpture, or mobiles.
Travel was important to Ray and Jeri. They did time-shares in the United States, a one-month’s cruise in Europe and many trips with Peggy and Andy Wit. On some cruises, Ray did workshops during the day and, in his tuxedo, he danced the night away with his Cinderella.
Ray wrote many professional books and articles and also a book about art. On our bookshelf are autographed copies. He was a well-known and liked professor at Fordham and had his own practice near Carnegie Hall. Through the years he helped many people.
Ray and Jeri often visited their friends, Peggy and Andy Wit, in Delray Beach in a condo community called Kings Point. Ray walked early in the morning and found a condo, on the water overlooking a golf course. Our son, Brian, had visited Kings Point and had felt it was a perfect place for us to spend the winters. We bought a condo and were shocked to learn that Ray and Jeri wanted to buy there, too. Soon they were redoing and decorating their condo and spending time on the porch with their daily crossword puzzles, watching the birds and enjoying spectacular sunsets at night. Ray’s daily walks were done early each morning at a nature center nearby.
Wherever they lived, Ray had a garden. Spectacular flowers bloomed, orchids grew in the trees and he even had plants on the balcony in New Jersey.
Ray was such a special man who touched many lives! He will be greatly missed. – Pat and Tom Regan”
“UNCLE RAY Thank you for bringing joy, laughter, and happiness into every room you entered and to every person you met. You never had a negative thing to say and your glass (and wine glass!) was always half full. Watching you try to tell a joke always brought a smile to my face because somehow the punch line always came out first. I will always be grateful for your sense of humor and contagious laugh.
AUNT JERI It was always a pleasure to visit you and Uncle Ray. You both had an inspiring love for life and for one another. Uncle Ray was truly a special man and he will always be with you. I can’t thank you two enough for all that you have done for me and my family over the years.
TRACY AND TOM Your father was a great man who inspired so many people throughout his lifetime. The love he had for you and your family was remarkable. He was so proud of you both and will never be forgotten.
Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal.
With love, Ginny, Brian, Christian, and Jessica”
“The passing of Uncle Ray has brought great sorrow for many of us. He created everlasting memories with his quick and witty jokes, fantastic family Thanksgiving dinners and sharing his wealth of knowledge. Uncle Ray has help shape many of us to become better people, and we have passed that along to our own children. The memory of Uncle Ray will continue to be passed along for generations to come. May you Rest In Peace Uncle Ray, until we meet again.
Lorraine, John, Meghan, Shaun, and Sarah”
“I want to share both my sorrow at Ray’s passing and a wonderful memory. We were colleagues for many years. When I fell in love in 2005 it was unexpected, wonderful, and terrifying at the same time. The terrifying part did not seem normal, so I consulted the wisest and kindest person I knew—your father. When I told him of my state, he hugged me and said “Yes, it’s perfectly normal and I’m so happy for you.” I have now been married to my beloved for 15 years, with his reassurance!
So many of us will miss him!
Barbara Lynn Kail”