On Saturday, June 3rd at 2pm there will be a memorial service for Ray Morse at the Jesse Lee Memorial Methodist Church at 207 Main St. in Ridgefield, CT.
Ray was a member of the Truesdale Lake Community since 1973. He was an active volunteer, a fantastic sailor on the Truesdale Sunfish Fleet, and he raised his two daughters here with his wife Helen.
Ray will be missed.
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Raymond A. Morse Obituary
Raymond A. Morse of South Salem, NY passed away peacefully at his home on December 10, 2022. He was 92. Raymond was a truly kind and loving husband and father and will be profoundly missed by his family, friends and community.
Born May 29, 1930, Raymond was raised in Elsmere, NY just outside of Albany and was a graduate of the Bethlehem Central School District, Delmar, NY., where he enjoyed playing sports and formed close lifelong friendships with many of his classmates.
While in Junior High Ray worked at a local drugstore where one day a girl walked in; her name was Helen Crocker, and they started dating not long afterwards. Ray and Helen dated through high school, Ray’s service in the Air Force and college. The couple married in 1953, had their first child in 1956 and their second child in 1960. They enjoyed 67 years of marriage.
The 1950s were busy years for Raymond he joined the Air Force in 1952 and served stateside at three separate bases: Chanute Air Force Base, Illinois, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas and Boeing Field, Seattle, WA. He was honorably discharged in January 1956.
Though a Physics major at Purdue University, through the recommendation of a college professor; who agreed with the observation that Raymond was a “people person,” a course of study was designed for him in the field of “Industrial Relations.”
Upon graduation, in 1959, Raymond was hired by IBM and began work at the Poughkeepsie, NY IBM facility. After four years he transferred to the IBM in Kingston, NY and the family had a house built in Woodstock, NY. The family participated in the creative community of the area while also enjoying hiking and skiing in the Catskills.
Ray became an avid golfer while living in Woodstock, and after work he would walk down the street to the Woodstock golf course and play a round before or after dinner, usually accompanied by the beloved family dog.
In 1973, Ray transferred to IBM Elmsford, NY and the family settled in South Salem, NY. Raymond became a member of the IBM Quarter Century Club, in 1984. For many years, pre and post retirement, Raymond was an Adjunct Professor at Pace University, Pleasantville, NY.
A Truesdale Lake resident for 50 years, Raymond was an engaged member of the community, participating in the Truesdale Lake Property Owners Association, the Conservation Advisory Council, and in the 1990’s was co-chair of the Norwalk River Watershed Initiative. Ray and Helen loved living on Truesdale Lake enjoying; sailing, canoeing, fishing and observing the wildlife.
Retirement brought new engagement with community for Ray and Helen through Founder’s Hall in Ridgefield, CT. The classes, programs and field trips offered by Founder’s Hall kept Ray & Helen engaged and active. Ray had a lifelong interest in writing that he delved into post-retirement, whether through the Library programs, or Founder’s Hall writer’s workshops.
Ray worked on poetry, fiction, short fiction and memoir. He deeply loved poetry and prose and enjoyed sharing his work. Ray’s love of golf sustained him as he continued to play or go to the driving range into his 90s.
Raymond was predeceased by his beloved wife Helen and son-in-law Timothy LuBell. He is survived by his two daughters, Barbara Morse-LuBell, Luanne Morse-Brown, and son-in-law Cary Brown; also grandchildren Avery LuBell (David Pierce), Mirise LuBell (Clarence Mills), and Kira LuBell (Pablo Rodriguez), great grandchildren James and Edwen Pierce-LuBell and Nova Rodriguez-LuBell. Also, survived by nieces Patricia Morse and Elizabeth Morse; sister-in-law
Barbara Smith, niece and husband Sarah and Joe Hawley and nephew Stephen Smith. Raymond was the son of the late Arba and Lottie (Ryan) Morse and was predeceased by his brother Gordon Morse.
Ray’s daughters would like to acknowledge the profound kindness and thoughtfulness expressed by neighbors and people in the Lewisboro community and the connections he made through Founder’s Hall and the Ridgefield Golf Course. In lieu of flowers please consider making donations to the ASPCA, American Cancer Society or Habitat for Humanity.