Raymond Dewar

Raymond Dewar (Ray, Uncle Ray, Mas Ray), born February 10, 1932, in Pearces Village, Hanover, Jamaica, passed away in Washington, DC, on June 25, 2025. He was the second of twelve children from the union of Arthur and Laura Adassa Dewar. Ray was raised by his grandmother, Mary Jane Brissett (Sister Missy), and spoke almost daily of her positive influence on his life.

Ray attended Mount Peto Primary School in Hanover, where he enjoyed reading and learning about agriculture. At the prime age of sixteen, Ray moved to Kingston to live with his uncle. He worked several jobs before landing a permanent position at National Dry Cleaning as a presser.

In July 1958, he relocated to Mandeville and started a new position with Gunther Dry Cleaning and was later recruited to work at Landamans. While at Landamans, he encouraged his friends in Kingston to come and work with him.

Shortly after his move to Mandeville, Ray met his lifetime partner Amy at a fair they were both attending. He must have been very charismatic because she came with her friends in a car, and he took her home on his bicycle. Raymond and Amy were married on December 10, 1960, and were blessed with four children.

Ray was always in search of better opportunities to improve the lives of his family. In 1966, he was recruited to work as a firefighter in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. On his downtime to make extra money, he would assist the officers in the commissary on base with shopping and other chores and worked as a caddie. We heard so many stories about his time in Cuba and the lifetime friends he made there.

Again, still seeking life improvement, he was informed about an opportunity to go to the United States to work. He invested $750 for a visa (against the advice of his friends) and in 1968, he left Cuba and migrated to the United States. He said that it was a lot of money, but it paid off in so many ways.

Raymond came to Connecticut and started working for Hull, Dye, and Cloth in Derby. He immediately started the process of bringing his family to the United States with him. In September of 1970, he was reunited with his wife and children.

After a brief layoff from Hull Dye, he found work at Kerite Corporation in Seymour in 1971 and worked with Kerite as a compound maker, where he received several awards for his exemplary skills and work ethic. He was never late (unless the Yankees or Mets were playing) and hardly missed a day. He retired in 1994.

Ray and Amy enjoyed a full life after retirement in Jamaica. He loved the water, whether swimming for miles every morning at Bluefields Beach with his friends as the sun rose or bathing in the river. He would climb the fruit trees in the backyard to pick the unreachable fruits and read the newspaper every day. He went through hundreds of crossword puzzle books, and he and Amy played Ludi every night. He loved a great fish dinner and made sure he experienced as many as possible during his travels. Baseball and cricket were his favorite sports, and he was a diehard Yankees fan.

The most important thing in Raymond’s life was his family…He loved his family...all of them. He was passionate about making sure everyone received opportunities he may have missed and quietly contributed in any way he could. He was a man of few words, but his words were profound when he spoke. He had a huge sense of humor but was not great at telling jokes. And oh, the endless life stories that were left to be told; we heard new ones constantly. He was generous, so unselfish and so humble. He gave and never expected anything in return. This will be his lasting legacy…GIVE.

Raymond was predeceased by his parents Arthur and Laura Adassa, his beloved grandmother Sister Missie, son Errol, four brothers (Dudley, Robert, Derrick, Wilton), and three sisters Mary, Dahlia, and Cassilda). Left to cherish his sweet memory is his loving wife of 64 years Amy, daughter Angela, sons Kendrick and Godfrey, sisters Lorna, Jean, Shirley, and Venlyn (Victor). In addition, he leaves 2 granddaughters, Andra and Jacqueline, four grandsons, Errol, Jason, Jahrayn, and Jahymal, a bonus daughter, Tondalaya, and his best buddy/great-grandson, Nasir. He also leaves many nieces and nephews and a large extended family of cousins and friends. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday July 9, at 11:00 a.m. at The Macedonia Baptist Church in Ansonia. Friends may call at church from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Burial follows in Pine Grove Cemetery. 

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