Raymond John Neufeld

Raymond John Neufeld, Sr. died from glioblastoma multiforme on Wednesday, July 30 in
Scarborough, Maine. He was 80 years old. Often called “Big Ray” within his large family, he was
well suited by the name. He had a big physique, a big personality, a big voice, and a big heart.
Ray was the third oldest of ten children to Gerard and Margaret Neufeld, all raised in the house
attached to Gerard’s funeral home in Elmhurst, Queens, New York. He was an altar boy at St.
Bartholomew’s Catholic Church with a mischievous gleam in his eye, and his stories of life in
New York City in the 1940s and 50s were hilarious. One of his favorites involved a bag of
pigeons “accidentally” released on a crowded NYC subway during rush hour.
Although trained as an accountant, Ray joined the family business in his twenties and served
the rapidly changing Elmhurst community as a funeral director with professionalism, dignity, and
no small amount of humor, at varying times alongside his father, brother, sons, and nephew. He
was deeply committed to the tight-knit community of funeral directors in Queens and Long
Island. In 2020, he came out of retirement to work to support his brother Joe and nephew
Joseph, Jr. when Elmhurst was the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City.
Neufeld Funeral Home was the subject of several documentaries endeavoring to capture the
unimaginable strain of that time.
Ray was a patriot and public servant. He joined the Navy at age 17 with permission from his
parents and served as US Navy Seaman 1st class through his college years. He was later
drafted into the U.S. Army, serving a tour in Korea during the Vietnam War. He became a
volunteer firefighter and advanced emergency medical technician in his thirties and served the
community of Floral Park, Long Island for decades, including as Chief of its Fire Department. He
loved his dress uniform, his Santa suit, his chief’s car, and the friendships formed at the fire
house, but he especially loved helping his neighbors and saving lives in his community. On
September 11, 2001, Ray was among the hundreds of suburban firefighters called in as early
responders after the Twin Towers fell. Although he did not talk about it much, he was forever
impacted by that traumatic experience.
Ray loved nature and history and people of all sorts. He enjoyed hunting and fishing, and he
took home many medals competing in skirmishes as a member of Company D of the 69th NY
State Volunteers. These activities were a means to connect him with the outdoors and with his
friends. Ray loved meeting new people and made friends wherever he went. In his retirement he
left New York to move to Eliot, Maine, where he also enjoyed watching the birds and other fauna
from his small deck overlooking the Piscataqua River.
Ray loved his family. With his wife Vivian, he raised four amazing kids in Floral Park. He
coached their soccer and Little League teams and made it a point to attend every lacrosse
game, dance recital, late-night band show, art exhibit, swim meet, and basketball game that he
possibly could. He adored his five grandchildren, taking every opportunity to brag openly about
them to anyone who would listen. He worked to stay in touch with his siblings and nieces and
nephews, who were spread across the country and even globe. His dying wish was attained
when over eighty of his extended family and friends came together for his 80th birthday in June.

We will forever treasure gathering in his front yard for lobsters and cake to celebrate an
extraordinary man, with an extraordinary life.
Ray is survived by his children—Raymond Neufeld, Jr (Julia Whitworth), Michael Neufeld,
Christine Munroe (Russ Munroe), and Gregory Neufeld (Anya Prokofieva); his
grandchildren—William, Gregory, and Grace Whitworth-Neufeld, Nicholas and Alexander
Neufeld, Brianna Munroe (Shaun Rowe) and their children Madison and Annie Rowe; and
Vivian Garofolo Neufeld. Predeceased by his brother Jerry, he will be sorely missed by his eight
siblings, 35 nieces and nephews, 22 grand nieces and nephews, and countless friends and
colleagues.
Funeral Arrangements through Gerard J Neufeld Funeral Home
At Thomas F. Dalton Funeral Home

In Lieu of Flowers, please consider donations to one of the following:
1. St. Sebastian Woodside Swim Team: frwest@saintsebastianwoodside.org (please
indicate in the memo SEBS CYO SWIM/NEUFELD)
2. The Dream Factory of York, Maine https://www.dreamfactoryinc.org/yorkmaine/

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