Raymond Charles Schlicht, a longtime Fishkill resident, passed away on Thursday, May 28, 2020 at Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie. He was 92.

Son of the late Phillip and Edith (Gietz) Schlicht, he was born in North Bergen, NJ on October 13, 1927. Ray started his learning in a one-room schoolhouse in Ruby, NY and graduated as valedictorian at the age of 16 from Kingston High School. He then went to Central College in Pella, IA where he again graduated at the top of his class. It was there that he met Annabelle "Annie" Rinehart, and they were married in Oskaloosa, IA on July 30, 1948. Ray proceeded to get his Master's at the University of Maine and later a Doctorate in Chemistry from Ohio State.

Soon after his doctorate studies, he joined Texaco Inc. in Glenham, where he worked for 35 years. Specializing in lubricants research, he had over 44 patents registered with the US Patent Office, and some of the additives he created are still used today. He retired in 1988.

Raymond had a curious intellect in most things related to science, including chemistry, geology, medicine, and astronomy. He was always an avid reader of science and history, and with so much to learn he never kept up with his many magazines and journals. His penchant for maintaining his beautiful green lawn was extraordinary and the results were admired by family and neighbors. In his later years, he became very interested in genealogy, researching the family roots back to the 1500s. He took his family on extended summer camping trips visiting every state this side of the Mississippi River and a few more on the other side. Following his retirement, he had memorable trips to the Rockies as well as Germany.

Having raised one daughter and four sons in the Fishkill area, Ray and Ann were married for 60 years until she predeceased him on April 13, 2008.

Survivors include his son, Charles Schlicht & his wife Eileen of Woodbridge, VA; his son, John Schlicht & his wife Christine of Manlius, NY; his daughter, Marilyn Garnett & her husband Richard of Highland, NY; his son, Robert Schlicht & his wife Joanne of Cortland, NY; his son, Eric Schlicht of Poughkeepsie; twelve grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and many other loving relatives & friends.

Donations in Ray's memory may be made to The Nature Conservancy,4245 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, Virginia 22203-1606 (www.nature.org), the National Audubon Society, 225 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014 (www.audubon.org), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 (www.stjude.org), or the Blodgett Memorial Library, 37 Broad Street, Fishkill, New York 12524.

Entombment will be in the Community Mausoleum at Fishkill Rural Cemetery.

Arrangements are under the direction of McHoul Funeral Home of Fishkill, Inc., 1089 Main Street, Fishkill, NY. For online tributes, you can visit Raymond's Book of Memories at www.mchoulfuneralhome.com.