Raymond P. Foley Jr., 58, peacefully went home to be with Jesus on Saturday morning at the home of his sister in Pawleys Island, South Carolina.
Born in Providence, he was embraced in heaven into the loving arms of his mother and father; Raymond P. and Agnes M. (Olson) Foley, he was a lifelong resident of Warwick. Over the years, Raymond worked for Rinaldi’s Bakery, CCRI, Gregg’s, Norwood Diner and Liz Claiborne. He also volunteered at Greenwich Bay Retirement Living Facility. Raymond participated in the Rhode Island Special Olympics for the Trudeau Tigers since its inception in 1968 at Brown University. He participated in field and track; weight lifting; bowling and shotput. He also played softball and basketball with the Trudeau Tigers. In 1991 he represented the State of Rhode Island in the Special Olympics International Games at The University of Notre Dame. In 2009 Raymond participated in the honor guard in Hyannis, MA at the funeral of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the founder of Special Olympics. He also had occasion to be the Torch Bearer lighting the Olympic cauldron to open the games at URI. At the State Summers games at Hendricken this year he led the games by reciting the Olympic Oath, “Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt”. He loved to show off his many trophies and medals! Raymond was a member of Special Religious Education Group (SPRED). He was also an altar boy and usher at St. Peter’s Church for many years.
Known as “Ray Foley’s brother/sister”, he leaves a brother, Brian F. Foley (Judy) of Mansfield, MA; two sisters Susan D. Verville (the late Bob) of Charleston, SC and Marie T. Ahlert (Rick) of Pawleys Island, SC. He was the uncle of Michelle Polkey (Joe), Michael Verville (Sarah), Carl and Kathleen Bennett (Stephen), Dana, Rachel and Kimberly Foley. He was the great uncle of Joseph Polkey and Emmett and Liam Verville. He also leaves the many staff members and friends that all loved and accepted Raymond as a member of their own families.
His funeral will be Friday, January 4, 2019, at 9 a.m. from the Frank P. Trainor & Sons Funeral Home, 982 Warwick Avenue, Warwick. A Mass of Christian Burial in Saint Peter Church, Fair Street, Warwick at 10 a.m. Calling hours are Thursday, January 3, 2019, 4-8 p.m.
In lieu of flowers donations in his memory to Cornerstone Adult Daycare Services (Warwick) or the Trudeau Tigers (J. Arthur Trudeau Center) will be appreciated. Burial will be in the Rhode Island Veterans Cemetery, Exeter. www.trainorfh.com
