We say Farewell to our dear friend RAY TAYLOR

Ray Taylor, who passed away on January 17, 2022, at 99 years old, was a very special individual.  He was born on June 24,1922, in Long Branch, moving to Fair Haven in 1924, having spent over 98 years in the Borough.

Ray Taylor and his wife, Elizabeth, raised seven children in Fair Haven. They have 20 grandchildren and many great grandchildren.  Ray will be remembered for his many years of selfless public service to his country and to his hometown.

He served in the U.S. Army in World War II from 1942 to 1946 and he was stationed in Australia, New Guinea, New Britain, Guam, the Philippines, Japan, and Alaska. In the 1950’s, he was stationed in the Asian Pacific during the Korean War. During this tour of duty, he worked his way up to the rank of sergeant first class and received a distinguished service medal and a Korean War commemorative medal.

Ray Taylor not only fought in World War II and the Korean War, but he also fought to overcome racism in his hometown, where as a boy he was not even allowed to attend the Borough’s Knollwood and Willow Street Schools. Using his own gentile stride around town, with grace and wisdom to impart on everyone he met, he won over the hearts and minds of generations.

Ray Taylor has been a beloved Fair Haven legend for as long as most anyone living in town can remember.   His passing leaves a void in our community that we realize will never be filled.  All we can do is be thankful that he called Fair Haven home for nearly his entire life, and that he treated his hometown with an ongoing loving reverence, which grew ever stronger over time.  On behalf of the current and past Governing Bodies, as well as the residents of the entire community, I offer our sincere condolences to Ray’s family. 

Theresa S. Casagrande,
Fair Haven Borough Administrator