Obituary of Raymond J. Smith

Riparius: Raymond J. Smith, 62, of River Rd., passed away peacefully, Friday, February 27, 2015, at Glens Falls Hospital, surrounded by his loving family. Born September 25, 1952 in Oceanside, he was the son of the late Roger and Rita (Kelly) Smith. In his youth, Raymond treasured time spent at his family’s farm in the Adirondacks; throughout his adulthood, he enjoyed restoring “Lazy S Farm”. He worked with several local building contractors before starting his own business in 1999. Raymond was most content spending time with his children, brothers, and friends at home, in the garage, at the wood pile, their homes, or the fire house, always helping to fix whatever arose. He enjoyed working on motorcycles as a hobby, and had the gift of solving any mechanical problems that would arise with friends and family; always teaching us the “whys” and “how-to's”. He was a tremendously giving person. He loved his flock of sheep, all with nicknames, spending countless hours tending them, along with his greenhouse that saw plants of all kinds, started and saved. Besides his parents, he is predeceased by his brothers, Richard and Robert Smith. He is survived by his beloved wife of 36 years, Linda Smith of Riparius; his children, Richard R. (Angela) Smith of Riparius, Dean R. ( Melinda) Smith of Riparius, and Kaye M. (Alan) Smith of Watervliet; grandchildren, Raymond D. and Hayley S. Smith; a brother, Randy N. Smith (Maggie) of Larchmont; sister-in-laws, Phyllis, Sandy, and Marie Smith; nieces, April (Shawn) Burke of Bethlehem, PA, Cathleen Fournier of Rome, and Lauren Smith of San Diego, CA, and their children; and a great-nephew, Clayton Smith of Riparius. Friends may call on Raymond's family from 4 to 7 pm, Wednesday, March 4, 2015 at the Alexander-Baker Funeral Home, 3809 Main Street, Warrensburg. A funeral service to celebrate his life will immediately follow the visitation at 7 pm, at the funeral home. The Family would like to sincerely thank the C.R. Wood Cancer Center and ICU at Glens Falls Hospital for their care and support throughout his illness. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may take the form of donations in Raymond’s memory to the Riverside Fire Department PO Box 11, Riparius, NY 12862. Please visit www.alexanderfh.net for online guestbook, condolences, and directions.