Raymond L. Cherubini

Raymond Lewis Cherubini, age 86 of Brockway, passed away on February 16, 2023, surrounded by his loving family. 

As a devoted father and family man, Ray spent his weekends & evenings taking walks up in the woods with his three children Don, Brenda, and Barb and wife Bonnie, carrying a bag of hot dogs and marshmallows. His son Don collected sticks to build a fire along with them climbing trees, flying kites, and sled riding in the winter months. Many birthday parties were held for his mother & father-in-law Bessie & Christy Himes in the family homestead with all the Thompson families and Himes family attending. He became best friends with his father-in-law Christy, helping with many farm chores, fixing items, & hunting. Christy was a lover of animals and was always taking Ray on excursions trying to bring baby animals home to domesticate and raise as family. Christy was excited to give Ray tree spikes to climb a tree & catch a raccoon. Later they caught baby owls which were donated to the Erie, Zoo. They also had a baby groundhog, Chippy, which nursed with Ray’s beagle and newborn puppies and grew up alongside all the puppies, kittens, and cats – and loved to be in the house by the warm stove. 

He was a devoted son to his mom and dad, Matt (Amadio) and Mary (Gradizzi) Cherubini, always visiting on Sundays & lending a helping hand with all their projects. He helped to care for his twin brothers who were 13 years younger, Bob & Bill, and whom he loved spending time with.

He kept the tradition of spending time with his family, especially with the apples of his eyes, grandsons Nicholas and Clay. He prides himself on all the success, memories, hard work, and family closeness he shares with them.  In his later years, he depended on his son-in-law Richie, to complete jobs at his house. 

Every Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter holidays his wife Bonnie would cook a large turkey feast for both Ray and Bonnie’s families for holiday dinner.

Ray & Bonnie hosted 40 years of hunting trips for nephew Jack, his sons Ivan & Alan, Jack’s brother-in-law Gus, with sons Mike & Greg, plus even reaching into a 3rd generation over the years. 

He often spoke of how he and Bonnie met at age 15, and it was the most fun summer he ever had. He loved taking Bonnie to his baseball games and each of them meeting friends from Brockway and Brockport. Bonnie was the stats keeper for the Brockway team when they first met, which her nephews Jack & Jim played on, and the story goes that she “accidentally” tripped Ray on his way to his dugout. Ray attended the Horton School through the end of 11th grade, then attended Brockway for his senior year.  He scored over 900 points in his Varsity basketball career. He played baseball for the DuBois Rockets at the age of 15, the DuBois Legion team which placed 2nd at states, and was invited to try out for the Pittsburgh Pirates. 

Ray was a hardworking tool and design engineer for Brockway Pressed Metals for 47 years. Ray turned away many pay raises and vacation days to build a strong company for the workers and their families.   He ran the Brockway 4th of July Horseshoe Tournament, helped build the Dad’s Horseshoe Club and was the secretary, and was part of the original founders to bring the Kiwanis organization to Brockway, which then became the Kaimanns.

Ray is welcomed in heaven by his daughter Brenda, who loved to read to him, his brother Donnie whom he spent many hours playing baseball, basketball, building tree camps, and swimming in the mud hole with, his parents and in-laws, along with sisters & brother-in laws, Arveta & Oscar Benson, Jim & Bernie Thompson, Punk & Irene Thompson, AnnaBelle & Bud Zuchowski, Arnie & Dot Thompson, Doris & Evald Carlson, Elaine & Jim Samilio, Eugene & Dot Thompson, Skip & Popeye Reed, Sonny & Pat Himes.  Plus, many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that any donations be made to Cancer Research, and/or Parkinson’s Disease Research.

Calling hours will be on Tuesday, February 21st from 2-4 PM at the Shugarts  Funeral Home Inc. in Brockway.    A funeral service will immediately follow at 4 with Bob Cherubini officiating.  Following the funeral service everyone is invited to the Social Hall at the Moorhead United Methodist Church where a funeral dinner will be served.

 Burial will be at the St Tobias Cemetery on Wednesday, February 22nd at 1:30 PM

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Raymond L. Cherubini, please visit our floral store.