The Medford Township Senior Advisory Board and the many seniors at Cranberry Hall wish to salute Raymond McCarty, whose recent passing left the organization with a great void and those of us who knew him well with a very great heartache. Although many seniors have contributed greatly to the growing success of the organization, Ray was a very special person to many of us and a contributor in ways that his innate modesty would have made him seek to avoid making known.
Ray was an example to everyone who met him. He was the eldest statesman of the group, having attained the age of 92. We say “statesman” because he was named to and was active on the very first Senior Advisory Board created by the Medford Township Council. And after he left the board, he still attended nearly all the council meetings and kept the board advised of any information about council actions that he believed might affect seniors in the township. He was never afraid to offer his views either to council or to the board, particularly when it might advance the interests of the township’s senior citizens.
The members of the Thursday morning pinochle group marveled at his enthusiasm and his mental acuity. Although Ray learned how to play pinochle late in life, he took to it with great enthusiasm. He was always the first to come on Thursdays to set up tables and wait patiently for the games to begin. Win or lose, Ray played with gusto.
Anyone who didn’t know Ray well would not have guessed his age. They admired his activity and good humor. He was a regular member of the Thursday seniors luncheon group and his stories kept everyone amused. He also regularly attended and was extremely loyal to Friday evening dances. Whenever the seniors had a party on Fridays, he would leave early to make sure he did not let down the ladies who expected him to be there to dance with.
Despite a significant and productive career as a pattern maker and engineer, much of which took place in the defense industry, Ray was modest and reluctant to talk much about his career. He was also much admired for his lengthy attention to his wife during her last years.
There haven’t been many like you, Ray. We will miss you always!
Michael L. Diller
Chairperson
The Medford Township Senior Advisory Board
