Raymond Phillip Pecoraro

With great love and the heaviest of hearts, we announce the passing of our beloved father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and family patriarch, Raymond Phillip Pecoraro, who was welcomed home into the loving arms of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Friday, May 22, 2026.

Raymond lived a life marked by faith, devotion, loyalty, strength, brilliance, and deep love for his family. He passed peacefully in the sunshine, in his beloved beachside home, with his son by his side. In the spirit of Winston Churchill’s words upon the death of a faithful king, death came to Raymond as a friend, after a life of faith, family, work, and love, as every man or woman who fears God and nothing else may hope to do.

Raymond was born on February 19, 1931, in the Bronx, to Raphael and Maria “Mary” (Pezza) Pecoraro. A beloved childhood memory he shared was hitting a home run as a young boy at Yankee Stadium during the War. It was also in the Bronx that Raymond met his future bride, Janet Tiedemann. Their love story was one for the ages, beginning in 1945, when Raymond first met Janet as young teenagers in the Bronx. A birthday invitation, a broken favorite record, and the boldness of a young man who insisted on attending Janet’s 14th birthday party despite not being invited began a love story that would span more than eight decades. Raymond and Janet were married on June 6, 1952, and together they built a family rooted in faith, loyalty, humor, resilience, and unconditional love.

Raymond was a devoted husband and father whose life was defined by strength, courage, intelligence, humor, and love. With Janet by his side, he embraced the joys and challenges of marriage and parenthood, raising four sons and creating a family bond that would flourish across generations. His devotion to Janet was evident to all who knew them. Their playful banter, deep affection, silly kitchen bickering, and unbreakable bond were a living example of marriage as a lifelong covenant.

As a young man, Raymond was a proud graduate of Manhattan College. Raymond then served his country honorably in the United States Navy during the Korean War. He carried that same discipline, resolve, and sense of duty throughout his life. Professionally, Raymond was a gifted innovator and technologist. He was part of one of the original IBM teams that helped pioneer semiconductor technology, work that helped shape the modern technological age.

His remarkable mind and inventive spirit are reflected in the 24 patents held in his name, a legacy of ingenuity, persistence, and vision.

Raymond's professional life did not end with retirement. Rather, he spent his golden years traveling the world with Janet by his side as an executive and advisor, helping countless companies in other countries adapt to the technological age. He brought not only his technical expertise, but also his patience and practical wisdom to those entrepreneurs navigating a rapidly changing world. His work reflected the rare ability to understand both machines and people.

Raymond and Janet later embarked on countless adventures together, traveling the world and exploring new places across countless countries and all seven continents. They then shared many travels with their beloved granddaughter Rita, forming a traveling trio whose adventures became part of the family's treasured history. Raymond and Janet shared a special bond with Rita, one that would later include Raymond becoming a jovial fixture among Rita’s friends and coworkers.

Raymond also found joy in spending time with family. He was an excellent tennis player and spent many Saturdays playing tennis with his beloved wife, Janet; his son, Robert; and his grandchildren, Maria, Robert, Ralph, and Rita. Those Saturdays became more than games. They became memories of movement, laughter, competition, family, and time generously shared.

A man of faith, Raymond trusted in the Lord and lived with the quiet conviction of one who understood that life, love, work, family, and death ultimately belonged to God. He was the patriarch of a large Catholic family whose faith was woven through generations, through prayer, sacrament, service, and devotion, especially at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Community. He spent many moments at Holy Name celebrating school days and sacraments for multiple generations. His final days reflected that faith- he did not meet death as an enemy. He met it peacefully, in the warmth of the sun, in the home he loved, surrounded by the love of the family he had spent his life building.

Raymond's greatest legacy was his family. He rejoiced in the lives of his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, celebrating their accomplishments, weddings, graduations, sacraments, and milestones. He and Janet were present for the growth of a family that expanded not only by blood but by love. In the Pecoraro family, family meant family. New spouses, grandchildren, stepchildren, and every new addition were welcomed into the fold.

As we bid an earthly farewell to Raymond, we take comfort in knowing that he is reunited with his beloved Janet and with those who went before him. Their extraordinary love story, begun in youth and carried through more than 71 years of marriage, now continues in eternity.

Raymond was also preceded in death by his parents, Raphael and Maria Pecoraro; his brothers, Ronald and Rudy; and his dear friend, Anne Durko.

Raymond is survived by his four devoted sons, Raymond (Sue), Richard (Gail), Ronald (Beth), and Robert (Margarita); his beloved grandchildren, Nate (Jennifer), Gina (Emmanuel), Joseph (Ashley), Maria, Anthony (Christina), Robert II (Marleena), Raphael (Gina), Michael (Courtney), Rita, Alyssa, Mikaela, and Kenneth; and his treasured great-grandchildren, Hayden, Aubrey, Brody, Emmanuel Junior, Robert III, Connor, Ana Janet, Coraline, Ellyana, Carter Joseph, Evelyn, Eniya, Noelle, Quinn, Brooklyn, Ryan, Jayce, Raymond, and Mileva. His legacy is carried on by all who loved him, including extended family, dear friends, and the many lives touched by the family he and Janet created.

Our hearts ache from the loss of our beloved patriarch, but his spirit will forever live on in the family he created and cherished. Raymond will be deeply missed and fondly remembered as a devoted husband, loving father, proud grandfather, treasured great-grandfather, faithful servant of God, as well as a veteran, inventor, world traveler, and pioneer of the technological age.

Like a sparrow into the night, goodnight, dear Raymond, and may a flight of angels sing thee to thy rest. May your love, faith, strength, and wisdom guide us as we honor your memory and tell your story for generations to come.

The viewing will take place on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at 1:30 PM at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church, followed by a Catholic funeral mass at 2:00 PM. A reception will follow at the Paradise Clubhouse at 180 Paradise Beach Boulevard. A Zoom link will be available for those who cannot attend in person. Please contact Maria Pecoraro at 407-222-0463 for Zoom information.