Raymond (Ray) Hoey

Hello and welcome, to the friends and family of Ray & Sandra. Thank you for being here and showing your support for Ray. I know he will be truly moved by all the amazing people here to see him off. I am Christal Jean-Soverall, his grand-niece, and favorite family member, sorry to the rest of you. Ray Hoey was born on October 5th, 1963, in South Beach, Staten Island, New York, at Doctor’s Hospital. To his mother, Cecilia Hoey, and father, Raymond Hoey. Everyone knows Ray’s favorite and biggest hobby of comic book collecting, and his other hobbies of figure collecting, and miniature/model building. Comic book collecting is one of the first things that comes to mind when you think of Ray. His love of comics and superheroes was not only indicative of his creative and imaginative nature but also of his character. He is a man who was willing to help anyone in need, offer welcomed advice, and always offering a listening ear. His early life was a bit rough, but special moments with the people closest to him made it more enjoyable. From his teachers in Curtis High School who encouraged him to go to class, to his friends with whom he would play basketball with in his free time, even on Christmas Eve, to his mom who would sit down with him and eat a whole pizza pie late at night. In his young adult life, he brightened up his coworkers' day at Goldman Sachs with his witty commentary and practical jokes. In his more recent years, he would spend his days relaxing and exploring the city with his amazing wife Sandra, trips to the comic book store, and getting to know his extended family (such as me). Uncle Ray is a good man; he has the tried and true philosophy of treating others as you want to be treated. And to accept and embrace others as they come. His house was always the place to go for any patriotic holiday from Memorial Day to Independence Day, because you know he had the best pizza, hot dogs, and hamburgers there. You know all the best, top-tier, American food. I would spend many late nights chatting with Rocky (their pet turtle, if you didn't know) as well as Ray, in the basement of their house. We would stay up until sunrise, and he would tell me stories from prior times. One late night, I convinced him to dye his beard purple like my hair at the time, and of course, Aunty Sandra joined in on the fun and dyed her hair too. As we all can see, Ray has made a great impact on all our lives and hearts. From his basketball buddies, to his favorite comic book store people, to his old coworkers, to his energetic younger nieces and nephews, to his caring wife. His open, friendly, inviting, and humorous nature left an impact on the hearts of everyone who had the pleasure of getting to know him. Honestly, I don't think Ray truly understood how much his family and friends cared about him, until he reached his final moments. Even though we would take the time to visit and spend time with him, he didn't realize how much we loved him. They say you only fully know the quality of a man until you see the people surrounding his bedside. Recently, when I came to visit my Uncle Ray, he was moved to tears by the sheer number of family members in his house coming to check on him. He never liked a lot of noise, but in that moment, all the noise of family clamouring and making a ruckus in the house was symbolic of all of us being there in support of him. We both never been people to cry or get too sentimental, but I think moments like these warrant a few tears, and some mushy words. Ray and I have always had a running joke we would do where we both planned on becoming supervillains who would plot on who would take out the other first. We would go tit for tat, taughting each other saying, “I’m gonna take you out!” or “No I am gonna take YOU out little girl!” Those memories are fond ones I will always look back on, and I hope he knows that every time I threatened him with my words, or a water gun, or a colorful plastic tennis racket, that it was me trying to say I love you. So, Ray, once again I’ll say on behalf of all of us, we all love, and care about you, and you will be greatly missed by everyone. And as we conclude this farewell to Ray, I encourage you all to hold on to the fond memories you have from the times you shared with him. Not that I think any of you could ever forget the memories you shared with Ray Hoey.

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