Raymond H. Bliss

Raymond H. Bliss, 94, of Wakefield, passed away Thursday, February 19 at home. He was the beloved husband of Jeanne (Mathieu) Bliss, and they celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary in April. Ray was born in Woonsocket, on January 26, 1921, the sixth and youngest child of Joseph J. and Cecilia A. Bliss. He was the brother of the late Anna B. Moran, Thomas F. Bliss, Cecelia A. Leclaire, Dr. Joseph A. Bliss and Rita B. Shepherd. Ray owned and operated Bliss Press, Inc. in Woonsocket until his retirement in 1988. A veteran of World War II , he served as First Lieutenant in the 9th U.S. Army in England, France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. He was awarded campaign stars for the Rhineland and Central Europe campaigns. After graduating from Woonsocket High School in 1938, he studied at the University of Rhode island where he was a member of the Class of 1942. He was active in Woonsocket civic affairs as a charter member of the original Woonsocket Redevelopment Association and the Meals on Wheels program. In 1992 he received the Citizens for a Better Woonsocket Award for his work in promoting the City. He was a longtime member and served on the Board of Directors of the Woonsocket YMCA. Jeanne and Ray moved full time to Narragansett, Rhode Island in 1995. They were members of St. Thomas More Parish. Ray loved spending time at the beach with his children and grandchildren. Long before the Internet, he was an active licensed Ham Radio Operator and enjoyed communicating with people around the world. As the times changed, he mastered and enjoyed computers as well. In addition to his wife, he is survived by a son, Raymond A. Bliss of Newport, and three daughters: Sally and her husband Robert Davis of South Kingstown, Carolyn and her husband David Corcoran of Falmouth, MA, and Julie and her husband Edward Owsik of Woonsocket, he also leaves eight beloved grandchildren and seven beloved great-grandchildren. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Friday, February 27th, at 11 am in St. Thomas More Church, 53 Rockland Street, Narragansett. Visiting hours are a the Avery-Storti Funeral Home, 88 Columbia Street, Wakefield, Thursday, 3-6 pm. Burial will follow in Precious Blood Cemetery, Woonsocket. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-1942 or the South County YMCA, 165 Broad Rock Road, Wakefield, RI 02879.