Raymond L. Moore, 86 of South Salem, New York passed away peacefully on Friday, February 8, 2019 surrounded by his family. Raymond (Ray) was born in Brooklyn, New York on August 16, 1932, son of the late Raymond F. and Gizella (Angyal) Moore. He is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Barbara Moore; his son Thomas Moore and his wife Melissa of Amesbury, Massachusetts; his daughter Susan Moore Rodgers and her husband Jim of Moon Township, PA; his sister-in-law June Disert and her husband Joseph; his niece Patricia Leigh Disert and her husband Kim all of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Ray began his musical journey by taking piano lessons at age eleven, continuing lessons for six years. During those six years, his main interest was writing music. He remembered writing a lullaby for a neighbor's newborn baby on D-Day. After High School, he went to Queens College, where he majored in Music and minored in Math and Science. During his college years, he wrote piano pieces in various styles, a String Quartet (first movement), and a choral piece and song set to the poetry of Frederico Garcia Lorca. As graduation from college approached, and he was facing active duty with the Marine Corps, he had a meeting with his college composition teacher and advisor, Professor Karol Rathaus, to evaluate his future after military service. Rathaus suggested that since Ray had science and math background, he should look into the phonograph record business as a future possibility. That possibility became a reality, an almost forty-year career with Columbia Records as a recording engineer. This career included such milestones as six Grammy awards and four Gold Records (including the soundtrack to The Graduate), as well as the opportunity to work with composers such as Copland, Stravinsky, and Chavez; conductors such as Bernstein, Boulez, Szell, and Ormandy; orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra; soloists such as Horowitz, Gould, Stern, Zuckerman, and Ruth Laredo; engineers and producers such as Andy Kazdin, Tom Frost, Teo Macero, Jay Sachs and Tom Shepard; and jazz artists such as Miles Davis.

In addition to his career with Columbia Records, Ray was an active member and officer of the New York Chapter of NARAS (the organization that oversees the Grammy awards). Ray also enjoyed nature, bird-watching, traveling, baseball, and attending many concerts of classical and rock music. After retiring, Ray taught piano for seventeen years while adding to his musical sketchbook. He began writing music for his church choir, including a "Lord's Prayer". He also composed many piano pieces, short pieces for clarinet and bassoon, and completed his String Quartet.

A Celebration of Life will be held for Ray on May 25 ^th at 4:00 p.m. at Stevens Memorial United Methodist Church in South Salem, NY. (In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Stevens Memorial United Methodist Church). For updated service information, or to offer online condolences to his family, please visit http://www.boutonfuneralhome.com.