Obituary of Raymond Francis Williams

Raymond Francis Williams passed away Saturday evening, February 18. 2023 at St. Clare's Hospital in Denville, NJ following an extended illness. He was 85.

Born and raised in Newark, NJ, Ray had moved to the Lake Hiawatha section of Parsippany in 1976. Ray had worked as a part of the kitchen staff at the former Essex County Hospital in Belleville, NJ for over 45 years, retiring in 2000. He subsequently worked as a school crossing guard in Lake Hiawatha retiring in 2016.

He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, Council #3680 of Parsippany and was a longtime fan of Seton Hall.

Preceded in death by his beloved daughter, Coleen Lennie; his parents, Bernard and Irene (Hill) Williams; and a sister, Frances Williams; Raymond is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Clare Patricia (nee Marchese) Williams; two daughters, Eilene Weber and her husband, Scott of Lake Hiawatha, Patricia Radler of Lake Hiawatha; his son-in-law, Frank Lennie of Lake Hiawatha; five grandchildren, Father Frank, Raymond, Scott, Nicole, and John; and eight great-grandchildren.

Relatives and friends are invited to call Thursday, Feb. 23, 4-8pm at S.J. Priola Parsippany Funeral Service, 60 North Beverwyck Road, Lake Hiawatha, NJ. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated Friday, Feb. 24, 10:00am at St. Ann Roman Catholic Church, Parsippany. Entombment will follow at Hollywood Memorial Park, Union. For those so desiring, the family would be most grateful for memorial gifts to St. Anthony's R. Church, 276 Diamond Bridge Road, Hawthorne, NJ 07506 (www.stanthony-hawthorne.org).

In recognition of Ray's love of all things Seton Hall, the family encourages everyone to honor Ray by wearing "blue and white" during the visitation and funeral.