Funeral Service
St. Catherine of Siena Church-
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302 St. Catherine Circle
Ithaca, NY 14850
Ithaca, NY- Raymond T. Fox, 96, died unexpectedly March 31, 2019, at his home in the East Hills of Ithaca. He was born August 31,1922, in Corning, N.Y., the son of Joseph and Marie (Hauer) Fuchs. He graduated from Corning Free Academy in 1939, joined the US Army in 1942, was trained as a cartographer (T5) in the 648 Phototropic Engineers, and was stationed in Australia, and later Papua, New Guinea. During this time Ray made high quality maps from aerial photographs for the higher levels of command in the Pacific theater. He was a talented artist and in this way, he used his gift to support our country.
After World War II, he went to Cornell University, met his future wife, Vera Hakanson (class of Cornell ’47), and graduated in 1947. He continued his education at Cornell and received his MS in 1952, and finally his PhD in Agriculture & Life Sciences in 1956.
Ray and Vera were married on June 30, 1951 and remained in Ithaca where they became fully involved in Cornell University teaching and flower decoration businesses. As time passed, they traveled during summers, taking tour groups to exotic locations often booking “tramp steamers” to get to their location. They went to the Orient, the northern “low countries” of Europe, and Southeast Asia. Their travels provided them with prolific numbers of photographic slides for educational slide shows which were done on campus for many years.
Ray and Vera were sought after for wedding planning and decorations, presidential inaugurations, the Lake Placid Olympics, and the wedding of Vera’s niece Karen (Hakanson) Schreiber. They eventually conducted the business in their home where a shop is still completely furnished with full flower decorating capability. The outside of their home is testament to their passion in decorating using floral and landscape motifs. Ray has a special gift at his home which commemorates 50 years of floral decorations for Cornell graduation ceremonies, that he oversaw and in which he personally participated.
In addition to his parents Joseph and Marie Fuchs, Ray was predeceased by his wife Vera (Hakanson) Fox, of 58 years, his sisters Anna F. Rector, Victoria Flynn, and brother Joseph Fox Sr. He recently traveled to his surviving sister (Betty) Elizabeth’s 100th birthday celebration in Dallas, TX. He is survived by 8 nieces and nephews on his side of the family and 5 nieces and nephews on his wife’s side of the family. He has 16 or more grand nieces and nephews. He loved family and was always available to help with weddings, holidays, and birthdays. He also has his special friends Fran and Joe Dannelley, who have made his last few decades his “Golden Years”. His family owes them a huge debt of gratitude.
A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 11 am on Saturday, June 1, 2019 at St. Catherine of Siena Church, 309 Siena Dr, Ithaca, NY.
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