Endicott – Joseph R. Dray, 87, loving husband, caring father and proud grandfather passed away peacefully on March 8, 2024 at Mercy House after a brief illness. Joe was a devoted Catholic and attended mass regularly.
He is predeceased by his parents Rose and Joseph Dray, his in-laws Leona and Howard McPherson, sister Rosemarie Kocan and brothers-in-law Fred Kocan and George Buza and son-in-law Michael Battaglini. He is survived by his loving wife of 68 years Jaqueline Dray, children Joseph (Adele) Dray, Anita (Dennis) Ballard, Ann Marie Battaglini, Lynne (Michael) Rusnak. Grandchildren Amber (Adam) Lubbe, Ashley and Alyssa Dray, Nicholas Ballard, Christopher (Danielle) Ballard, Matthew (Brittney) Battaglini, Anthony Battaglini, Michael (Sirley) Rusnak and Alexis Rusnak. Great grandchildren Ethan and Sophia Ballard and Nora Battaglini. Sister Marlene Buza, sister-in-law Mary Huson, and many nieces, nephews, cousins, special cousin John Polak and special neighbors.
Joe was a graduate of Johnson City HS and worked as a maintenance technician at IBM in Endicott, where he was a member of the Quarter Century Club. After retiring from IBM, he started his ‘second career’ as a handyman for many Endicott residents. He could fix or repair just about anything. His talents were endless and all of his family and neighbors could count on him to fix anything that was broken. Joe had many hobbies that he enjoyed with family and friends, such as fishing on the St. Lawrence River, boating and snowmobiling in Old Forge, motorcycling and vacationing with his family each year. While Joe was a lifelong NY Yankees and NY Giants fan, he also enjoyed attending his grandkids year-round sporting events and activities. Joe was the foundation of his family and could be counted on for anything that was needed. He will be deeply missed by all his family and friends. Joe’s family would like to extend a special thank you to all the staff at Mercy House for their compassionate care while he was there.
A funeral mass will be celebrated on Friday, March 15th at 10:00am at St. Ambrose Church, Endicott NY. Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Thursday, March 14th from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at Allen Memorial Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Joe’s memory to Mercy House of the Southern Tier, 212 North McKinley Avenue, Endicott NY 13760.