Raymond "Ray" F. Sturm passed away peacefully at Yale New Haven/Hospice after having to face an aggressive bout of cancer. His family was with him the night before. He looked at everyone and we all said goodbye, we love you so much. Lenore whispered softly in his ear, "get in the Cadillac, put the top down and drive away," We received the call the next morning that he had passed away.

He led a full life of 87 years, born in Bayside Queens, NY.,He had lived in Yorktown Heights, NY., Orlando, FL., before moving to Oxford, CT., with his wife, Lenore, after spending nearly 30 years together.

He leaves his wife, Lenore, and her three children, Andrew/Michelle, John and Elizabeth Chiappetta and Chiappetta grandchildren Shai, Luca, Maya and Laura.

He sadly leaves his sons Joe/Connie and Raymond "Scott" and Veronica "Ronnie"/Scott Kochetta.  He made it an important part of his life to call Joe every Sunday morning and Scott every Monday at 8:10 in the evening.  Yes, he was that precise. Along with his sons he leaves Sturm grandchildren, Nick, Zack, Ellie, Andrew/Taylor Ben, and Toria.  They were an extremely important part of his life.

After graduating from Bayside High School, he attended Pace University in New York and decided sitting behind a drafting table was not for him, so he entered the automotive world. First with General Motors as an Inventory Supervisor, traveling weekly up and down the East Coast. Because this kept him from his family for four days, including weekends, he decided to go into sales, ONLY selling American cars. He was affiliated with Brady Stannard in Brewster, NY and prior to that other dealerships in NY, CT, and FL. Before retiring from automotive sales and since he loved to drive and meet and chat with people, he worked for Volvo in Danbury.

He was an avid Mets fan, yelling at the TV when they "messed up" and cheered loudly when they hit one home run after another. He never sat and watched a complete game…more important to mow the lawn, rake leaves, plant 100 daffodils, weed and clean out the pellet stove. Every morning, he put out the bird feeders and especially the hummingbird feeder and knew their eating patterns well.  The last hummer came at 8 pm. He could identify many birds by name and even their calls and would often imitate back to them.  There was even "Teddy" the big black bear who lived in the woods who often visited the deck and Ray chased off when he stole a bird feeder.

Ray and Lenore loved to travel, driving rather than flying was a preference of his.  He explored the back roads of Montana by car and chalked up visiting 50 of the 52 states. On a trip to Europe, he yodeled with a group in Switzerland. Ray genuinely loved life and was a vibrant explorer. When visiting the Arches National Park in Utah he climbed up to help get his friend, Rich, down. Yes, he loved adventures.

When cancer took over his life less than a year ago, he once said, "Lenore, I walked around the yard but didn't have the strength to bend down and pick up a fallen branch." For many years he would drive to NH to visit family and friends for a few days, and it was difficult to say, "I don't have the stamina to drive." Summer plans were to drive to Minnesota and then on to Montana to visit his grandchildren. He never complained and found comfort in his weekly Sunday zoom services at Newton United Methodist Church. He also enjoyed attending the High Holiday services at Bethel Synagogue.

This legacy could go on and on sharing his passion of life. Ray was loved by so many people. We take comfort in knowing he will rest peacefully.

Calling hours will be Thursday, September 18, 2025 from 3-6 p.m. with a celebration of life starting at 5 p.m. held at Munson Lovetere Funeral Home located 235 Main St. N., Southbury, CT. Burial will take place 1pm Friday, September 19, 2025 at Cypress Hills Cemetery located 833 Jamaica Ave., Brooklyn, NY.

To leave an online condolence for the family please visit www.munsonloveterefuneralhome.com