Obituary of Raymond W. Stafford

NORFOLK—Funeral Services for 82 year old Raymond W. Stafford, a resident of 681 High Street, Victor, NY and formerly of Norfolk, NY, will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Norfolk United Methodist Church in Norfolk with Pastor Gregg Stierheim presiding. Burial will be held Sunday at 1 p.m. in the Lakeview Cemetery, Willsboro, NY. Family and friends may call at the Buck Funeral Home in Norfolk on Saturday from 10 a.m. until the time of the funeral. Mr. Stafford passed away Sunday at the Fairport Baptist Home in Fairport, NY. Raymond is survived by his wife of 59 years, Peggy, Victor, NY; a son, Richard (Sasha) Stafford, Spencerport, NY; three daughters, Barbara (Bruce) Capron, Westernville, NY; Kathryn (Paul) Cooley, Penn Yan, NY; Carolyn (Jim) Kennedy, Canandaigua, NY; eight grandchildren; Matthew, Adam, Karyn, Brenda, Colleen, Vladimir, Kyle and Luis; eight step-grandchildren and fifteen great-grandchildren. Raymond is also survived by his brothers, Kenneth, Rodney (Rosalie), Spencer (Eleanor) and his sisters Eunice Jones and Connie Pattee. He was pre-deceased by a sister, Jane Garvey. Born in Willsboro, NY on November 7, 1930 to Walter E. and Doris E. Higby Stafford, he was a 1948 graduate of Willsboro Central School and a 1950 graduate of Canton Agriculture and Technical Institute. He married Peggy Jean Smith on August 15, 1953. He and Peggy lived in Moira, NY for a year and then moved to Raymondville, NY for a few years until they moved into the home he built in Norfolk, NY. In March, they moved to The Legacy, in Victor, NY. Raymond worked as an electrician for ALCOA in Massena for 38 years, retiring in 1989. Raymond was very active in the community over the years. He was a member of the Masons, a 33rd Degree Mason and a member since 1960 of the What Cheer Lodge #689 F.&A.M., where he served as Secretary for 34 years, as well as other various positions including two terms as Master. In 1999 he received the Meritorious Service Award from NYS for his work in the Valley of Norwood. Raymond was active with the Shriners since 1978, participating in parades and festivals with the Ups and Downs Bike Unit and supported other programs that helped children. He was a member of the Bank Board in 1988 and served as Town Council Member for 8 years. A personal project of Raymond’s was the Recycling Center which he actively supported. In fact, he began recycling cardboard two years before the center even opened in 1993. Raymond was also active with Habitat for Humanity for many years and was involved with the construction of over ten homes. In November of 1994, he was awarded the Habitat for Humanity International Golden Hammer Award from the Raquette Valley Chapter. Raymond was involved with the UMCOR Hurricane Andrew Relief from 1993 – 1995. He traveled to Southern Florida three different times, twice with his son Richard and once with his wife Peggy, to rebuild homes. Raymond was also a Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 12 and was actively involved with the United Methodist Church in Norfolk since 1963. He has held many positions including Sunday School Teacher, Board Chairman, Finance Committee Chairman, Pastor-Parish Committee and was a member of the Board of Trustees. A room was named for and dedicated to Raymond at Camp Aldersgate in Brantingham, NY. Raymond served in the U.S. National Guard from 1950-1956. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, Norfolk United Methodist Church, Masonic Brotherhood Fund, Scottish Rite Charities, or Shriners Hospitals . Memories and condolences may be shared online at http://www.buckfuneralhome.com . The Buck Funeral Home in Norfolk is serving the family of Raymond W. Stafford.