Obituary: Raymond S. Hessel, 85, Of Fairfield

The following obituary is from Shaughnessey-Banks Funeral Home:

Raymond S. Hessel, 85, of Fairfield, the beloved husband of Catherine (Duignan) Hessel for over 55 years, passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 12, 2023. Born in New Rochelle to the late Arthur G. Hessel, Sr. and Frances (Byrne) Hessel, Ray was a longtime Fairfield resident.

While Ray was a longtime Fairfield resident, he spent his early years in Westport. He graduated high school from the Canterbury School in New Milford then went on to study business at Providence College. After college, he briefly moved to California for a sales position in the paper business at Crown Zellerbach. Upon returning to Connecticut, he met and married Cathy.

In 1969, he co-founded the food packaging business, Hessel Associates, with his father. They proudly provided packaging for Entenmann’s and Pepperidge Farm. In addition, Ray was an active member of the Fairfield Rotary Club.

Ray loved spending time with family, vacationing in Nantucket and Bermuda, cruising the Long Island Sound on his beloved boat, “Summer Magic” and serving as a personal paparazzi to his friends and family. He loved brightly colored clothing and embraced the fashion principle – the bolder the better. Ray loved gadgets of all kinds and was the quintessential early adopter.

In addition to his wife, Ray is survived by his daughter-in-law, Meghan Gorman Hessel; his
daughter, Gretchen Hessel; his 5 grandchildren, Christopher, Cole & Caroline Hessel and Emily & Spenser Donaldson; his niece, Martha Gardner and her husband Bill and their children; his nephew, John E. Shaughnessey and his wife Michelle and their children; as well as his sister-in-law, Patricia Hessel.

Ray was preceded in death by his son, Stephen C. Hessel, brother, Arthur G. Hessel, Jr. and sister, Corinne Batchelor.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, November 17, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Fairfield. The Mass can be viewed via livestream at:
https://www.stanthonyffld.org/. Interment will follow in Oak Lawn Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Ray’s memorial to St. Anthony of Padua Church, 149 South Pine Creek Rd., Fairfield, CT 06824

To send an online condolence, please visit www.shaughnesseybanks.com.