Raymond M. Bawol, 92, of Rhinebeck, NY passed away on Thursday, January 6th, 2022, in Wappingers Falls. Born on November 11th, 1929 in Utica, NY, he was the son of Polish immigrants Martin Bawol and Sofie Modliszewski Bawol, the youngest of 11 children. Growing up on his family's dairy-poultry farm, Ray gained a deep appreciation for agriculture and the great outdoors, spending his days exploring the surrounding woods and meadows with his pet goat and dog, Buddy. He attended grade school in a one-room schoolhouse and later graduated from Sauquoit Valley High School at the age of 16. He stayed for a post-graduate year, taking science courses and becoming a "four-letter man" – a varsity athlete in football, basketball, baseball, and track. After an encouraging conversation with his school principal, Ray decided to pursue higher education. He attended SUNY Morrisville, spending his summers working at a canning factory in Detroit. Ray graduated in 1949 with a degree in poultry husbandry and spent the next year working on a farm co-op in Pennsylvania. However, the Korean War began in 1950 and Ray returned home to Utica to enlist in Air Force where he qualified for Air Cadet Training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. Shortly after completing basic training, Ray became quite ill and was hospitalized. He was paralyzed from the waist down and diagnosed with polio. Ray spent the next 9 months learning how to walk again, and would later appear in photos for the rehabilitation center for the great progress he had made. Upon his return to Utica, Ray started working at a gas station while he quite literally got back on his feet. He would eat his lunch at the diner across the street, and one day, he overheard a conversation from a nearby table. One girl, recently arrived from Detroit, was telling her new friends about her hometown. Ray interrupted the conversation to let her know that he had spent some time in Detroit, and what she was saying wasn't quite accurate. That girl was Marilyn Odette, his future wife. They were married on May 2, 1953, in New Hartford, NY. He attended St. Lawrence University on the G.I. bill, before earning a graduate degree in Entomology, with minors in Plant Pathology and Biochemistry, from Cornell University. After completing his coursework, Ray relocated to the Hudson Valley with his wife and their three small children. He began working for Stauffer Chemical Company in 1959, traveling around the Northeast US and Canada as Regional Director and consultant. Ray retired from Stauffer in 1986. Prior to his retirement, Ray had purchased property in the Town of Clinton and returned to his family's roots as a farmer. In the early days, Ray grew gladioli and vegetables. Later, he expanded his farm into a pick-your-own berry business, which drew customers from as far away as New York City. Ray continued to expand his farming operations and experiment with growing different varieties of fruits and vegetables, many of which were brand new to the region. While he never hired any outside help, his adult children could often be found making change behind the counter in the barn or digging potatoes in the field. When he was no longer able to manage the farm full time, Ray slowly began to reduce operations until just the "family garden" remained—which was actually an entire field! Ray was a man of many talents, hobbies, and interests. In addition to farming and spending time outdoors, Ray was a talented craftsman who enjoyed woodworking. He was also an avid reader, and could often be found poring over everything from his Cornell chemistry textbooks to his beloved James Michener novels. Most of all, Ray loved spending time with his family and regaling them with tales of his youth. Ray is survived by his children, Diane and Eric Johnson, David Bawol, and Mary and Brian Molloy, all of the Town of Clinton, Laura and Dominick Cocco of Poughkeepsie, and Christine and Kevin Bahret of Hopewell Junction; a sister Helen Gryzwacz; several nieces and nephews; grandchildren, Jason and Stephanie Molloy of New Preston, CT, Christopher and Stephanie Bawol of Hyde Park, Jaime Cocco of Poughkeepsie, Tara and Jake Rosenblum of Queens, Cailin Bahret of Medford, MA, and Ryan Bahret of Hopewell Junction; and great-grandchildren Eliana Cocco-Simmons of Poughkeepsie, Jaxon Molloy of New Preston, CT, and Sophie Rae Bawol of Hyde Park. His was predeceased by his wife, Marilyn, in July 2001. There will be no services at this time, but a celebration of life is planned for the spring.