Ashburnham
Raymond C. Schrader, 101
Father Grandfather, Great grandfather
Raymond C. Schrader, 101, passed away at home Monday June 29, with his family by his side from a short battle with Leukemia. Ray was born in Fitchburg September 11, 1918, son of Otto and Carrie (Voedisch) Schrader. He graduated from Fitchburg High School where he excelled in track. As a teenager, he helped his mother Carrie operate Schrader’s market in Fitchburg after his father Otto passed. Ray took up boxing for awhile and earned the right to box in Boston Garden.
During WW 2 Ray did defense work at General Electric. He eventually closed Schrader’s market and spent twenty years at Fitchburg Gas and Light as a salesman and ten years at Digital as a security guard until his retirement.
He met the love of his life in his early twenties and married Ruth T. Scanlon. They raised three sons, Tom, Dick and Harry. Ray and Ruth were exercise enthusiasts and into health food years before it was popular.
Ray was an avid bicyclist once riding from Fitchburg, Ma.. to Bar Harbor, Maine and back. In his later years he always had a project or an agenda in the works, constantly on the go and still driving until his illness overtook him.
Ray was predeceased by his wife Ruth in 2007, his son Tom in 2002 and his sister Louise Sheppard in 2010. He is survived by his sons Richard and his wife Barbara of Ashburnham and Harry and his wife Barbara of Ashburnham. Ray leaves behind five grandchildren, Conn Schrader and wife Erin of Portsmouth, N.H., Kristen Greenwood and husband Matt of Glens Falls, N.Y. Saul Schrader and wife Alivia of Weymouth, Ma. Richard Schrader of Westminster and David Schrader and wife Caitlin of Red Bank, N.J. He leaves eight great grandchildren, his daughter-in-law Janet Schrader of Ashburnham, two nephews, three nieces and sister-in-law Mary Cunningham of Etna, NH whom he always remained close to.
A private funeral and burial for Ray will be held for immediate and extended family on Monday July 6 at 10:00 A.M. followed by burial in Forest Hill Cemetery In lieu of flowers contributions in Ray’s memory may be made to Jehovah Witness Kingdom Hall 1077 West St. Gardner, Ma. 01440. boskfuneralhome.com
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