NORWICH – Ray Sanford Aldrich, 89, life-long area resident, passed away early Wednesday morning Aug. 16, 2006), in the Gilmour Health Care Facility, where he had resided for the past two years.
Born in McDonough on April 22, 1917, Ray was the son of Spencer and Hazel (Pike) Aldrich, and a direct descendant of Gilbert Sanford, who founded McDonough’s Sanford Fork & Edged Tool Factory. He was the oldest of nine children, and received his early education in Daniels District #4 McDonough Union School prior to graduating Norwich High School in 1936. Always a lover of the outdoors, Ray worked for 10 years as a laborer on the J. D. Lidell and Elwyn Purdy farms, then entered the U.S. Army. He served his country until his honorable discharge on Jan. 10, 1947, when he returned to McDonough.
Ray and Lillian Ardron were married in McDonough on Sept. 7, 1946, and settled in that area, with Ray taking employment as a foreman for the NYS Dept. of Transportation and simultaneously serving four two-year terms as the McDonough Town Assessor and a member of the review board. Ray worked for the DOT in McDonough and Sherburne for 20 years, retiring on July 1, 1972. In “retirement,” Ray served for seven years as real estate salesman for Craine Realty Corp. of Sherburne. He was actively involved in his community, being a member of the Calvary Episcopal Church of McDonough and a former member of its vestry; and a charter member of the McDonough Volunteer Fireman’s Association. During the association’s early years, he served as flag bearer for the fireman’s parades and was the association secretary. He was also a past president of the East Pharsalia Cemetery Association, a member of the Senior Citizen’s Club, a volunteer for the Chenango County Historical Society, and treasurer of the Golden Age Memorial Fund for 11 years (1984-1995).
Ray was an enthusiastic hiker and sportsman who enjoyed deer hunting and mink trapping. He liked researching family genealogy, was an honorary member of the Beaver River Fish and Game Club; a long-time member of Kelley Grange; and a life member of the National Rifle Association. On July 1, 1971, Ray received a certificate of merit from NYSDEC for 19 years of volunteer service in the hunter safety training program. An expert and collector of antique firearms and obsolete steel traps, Ray was acknowledged in 1970 for his contribution to the book “United States Military Small Arms 1816-1865” by Robert M. Reilly, the chapter on the Henry Rifle and the part it played during the Civil War.
Ray is survived by his daughters and their spouses: Raelene and Craig O’Banks of White Lake, Romona and Louis Lobdell of Seneca Falls, and Reatha and Larry Bishop of Oxford; by grandchildren and their spouses: Denise and Brian Lake of Walden, Honey Gilbert of Mexico, N.Y.; Angel Lobdell of Seneca Falls, Melissa and John Beckwith of Oxford, and Ryan Bishop of Oxford; and four great-grandchildren: Gabriella and Chrysania Gilbert, Jason Lake, and Joshua Beckwith. He is also survived by his sisters and their husbands: Ruth and Samuel Mrosz of McDonough, Irma Davis of Bend, Ore.; Rena and Andrew Gracin of Norwich, Olive Sturges of Norwich, and Eleanor and Albert Mirabito of Oxford; by his brothers and their spouses: Harry and June Aldrich of Clearwater, Fla., and Elmer and Adelaide Aldrich of Oxford; and by nieces, nephews, and cousins. Ray was predeceased by his wife, Lillian Aldrich, on Feb. 8, 2005; his sister, Florence Genung; his granddaughter, Nicole Aiken, and great grandson Jeremy Lake.
Funeral services for Ray will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, from the Emmanuel Episcopal Church. The Rev. Glenn Mahaffey will officiate. Interment at a later date will be in the East Pharsalia Cemetery. Friends are invited to call at the R.J. Fahy Funeral Home on Friday from 6-8 p.m.
Those wishing to remember Ray with a memorial contribution are asked to send it to the Chenango County Historical Society, 45 Rexford St., Norwich, NY 13815; or to the Emmanuel Episcopal Church, PO Box 203, Norwich, NY 13815.