In Loving Memory of Raymond Chester Smith

The Funeral Program

The family requests memorial donations to
Holy Cross Church Building Fund, Rumson, NJ

or to

The Jersey Coast Chapter of The American Red Cross

c/o Ray Smith, President,
630 Broad Street, Shrewsbury, NJ 07702

Condolences and stories will be posted on this Memorial Web Site. Stories, pictures and condolences are encouraged to be sent to Ray@NJSurfer.net

From Skip

Raymond Chester Smith passed away on January 14, 2008. He lived in Oceanport in a home he built after living in Rumson for more than 20 years.

He was born in Hoboken, NJ and was raised in Cliffside Park, NJ.

He was predeceased by his mother Catherine Benson, his stepfather Henry Benson and his brother Kenneth Smith.

Ray enlisted in the Army during World War 2 and achieved the rank of Captain in the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers He was honored for his part in the Italian Campaign years later by the City of Livorno as the first American to enter the city during the liberation from German occupation.

Upon his return to the United States from the Service, Ray built homes throughout Rumson and the surrounding area. His developments included Sailors Way and Linden Lane, both in Rumson, as well as restoration work of the Geraldine Thompson estate in Lincroft.

Ray Smith purchased and expanded The Old Union House in Red Bank in the late 1950's and developed it into a very successful restaurant where many notable dignitaries were known to frequent. He also owned the River House in Toms River and the Old Heights House in Brooklyn. Ray also converted The Peninsula House in Sea Bright, N.J. into a beach club, hotel and restaurant.

Ray was Executive Director of the Monmouth County Chapter of the American Red Cross as a volunteer as well as a supporter of many other local charities. He was a successful commercial real estate broker in the Monmouth County area. He was a long time member of the Monmouth Beach Bath & Tennis Club of Monmouth Beach, N.J.

Ray loved travel, especially back to Italy to visit his old friends. He loved his winters in Sugar Sands, Singer Island, Florida with his wife.

Ray is remembered with the best of memories by the love of his life of 57 years, Consuelo Stafford Smith, his three children, Deborah Smith Walker and her husband David of Greenfield, MA., Sharon Smith Bottrill of Oceanport, N.J., his son Raymond Stafford Smith and his wife Britt of Monmouth Beach, N.J., his grandchildren Michael S. Bottrill of Los Angeles, CA., David A. Walker Jr. , and Sarah Pendriss of Greenfield, MA., Rachel Walker of Boca Raton, FL., Noah and Julian of Monmouth Beach, N.J., six great grandchildren, his niece Kerry Eigenrauch and her husband Bruce of Monmouth Beach, N.J., his nephew Kenneth and his wife Janet, and his nephew Shawn of Florida.