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Raymond (Ray) William Lenox III, 63, of North Guilford, passed away peacefully on Sept. 3 at his home, after a short and courageous battle with advanced pancreatic cancer. At his bedside were his nursing colleagues, his close friend Susan McSherry of New York, his husband Michael A. Russo, and his beloved canine, Buddy. Ray was born on Dec. 27, 1956, in Yonkers, New York to the late Raymond William Lenox, Jr., and Lillian (McCormack) Lenox.

Married on the Summer Solstice of 2011 at their home, also known as Trout Lily Farm, he is survived by his loving husband and companion of thirty-six years, Michael A. Russo. In addition, he leaves behind his sister-in-law Donna Russo Reis of Maine and her children Aaron, Aiden, and Alexander; his siblings Joanne (Fred) Crellin of Blufton, South Carolina, Tom (Jane) Lenox of Charlottesville, Virginia, and Jim (Miki) Lenox of San Francisco, California; and nieces and nephews Sarah, Jared, Benjamin, Caroline, Elizabeth, Christopher, and Kylie and Maxton, who were delighted as young children by the annual Christmas visitation of a blue-eyed Santa Claus (AKA Uncle Raymond).

Ray was a graduate of Cardinal Spellman High School, Bronx, New York and received a BS degree in biological sciences from UMass-Lowell in 1978. He became a Connecticut resident in the 1980’s to begin a career in the pharmaceutical industry and worked in Regulatory Affairs at Richardson-Vicks/Proctor & Gamble Company located in Shelton. When the company relocated to Ohio in 1992, Raymond made the decision to remain in Connecticut and pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a nurse and healthcare professional. He received his MSN from Yale School of Nursing in 1995 with a full scholarship from the Veteran’s Administration and continued his education earning a post master certification as acute care nurse practitioner in 1999. After graduation, he worked at the VA Hospital in West Haven as part of the Gulf War Veteran’s Health Project. He was also instrumental in launching, developing, and implementing policy and standards for the Sackler Pain Management Unit at Greenwich Hospital. In 2001, Ray joined the Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation Team at Yale’s Smilow Cancer Hospital in New Haven. In 2019 he received the prestigious Yale Cancer Center Ruth McCorkle APP Award for clinical excellence. Ray was highly respected and loved by his colleagues, a loyal friend, and mentor to many.

Ray was a kind and generous man, his bright blue eyes could light up a room and his jovial laugh was contagious. He could be the life of the party and loved to dance, with or without a partner! He will be deeply missed by all who knew him and by all those whose lives he touched or provided with comfort.

Heartfelt thanks to the “Angels” of Smilow’s BMTCN team and Branford Hospice for their supportive, compassionate, and magnificent care.

A private Celebration of Ray’s Life will be held at a later date. Friends and Family can leave condolences and recollections by visiting www.codywhitefuneralhome.com. Memorial contributions in Raymond’s honor can be made to the following organizations: The Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter, 749 E. Main St., Branford, the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research (https://lustgarten.org/donate), or the charity of your choice.