Ray Smith
If you sat down and spoke with Raymond Smith you’d never guess he will be turning 100 on Wednesday.
Ray was born on August 5, 1915 and is lifelong resident of Upton who currently resides at Whitcome House in Milford.
When asked what he enjoyed most about growing up and living in Upton, Ray said his fondest memories are of the people. “I really liked living in Upton. I made good friends. It was worth it,” he said.
Ray attributes his longevity to “living a happy life and meeting a lot of good people”.
Ray is a WWII veteran who attained the rank of Sergeant in the U. S. Army. “It’s a rough country over there,” he said about his tour in Europe. He was one of four brothers who fought overseas during WWII; all four brothers came home. Ray said he met “good people” in the service. “A lot of strangers were good to me,” he said.
He worked at Draper Corporation in Hopedale where he helped manufacture looms. Later in his career he served as a custodian at the Lyman School in Westboro and as a custodian at Blackstone Valley Technical High School.
He grew up in Upton when it was a different world, filled with farms, livestock, mills, trolleys, and trains.
Ray’s father and grandfather were lifelong Upton residents. His wife Mary passed away in 2012 at the age of 94.
Ray has experienced everything from the invention of the band-aid to the invention of the jet engine, space stations, and the internet.
On Saturday August 1, Senator Mike Moore presented Ray with a Citation and Proclamation from the Massachusetts Senate in celebration of his 100th birthday for a life well lived.
Ray will be celebrating his birthday with friends and family.
left to right – his son Ray, Ray Smith, his daughter Mary Ellen with her husband, and Senator Michael Moore
UPTON DAILY 
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