Earl Raymond Labarron

Earl Raymond LaBarron, 86, of Hornell, New York, passed away Tuesday morning, August 9, 2016, in Elderwood Nursing Home. Known as Ray to all his family and friends, he brought friendliness to all and inspired his large family with his positive and energetic approach to all aspects of his life. He was born in Hornell, January 24, 1930 to Earl and Ava (Lusk) LaBarron, and grew up with two brothers, Robert and Richard, both previously deceased. After graduating from Hornell High School in 1948, Ray entered the Air Force and married his high school sweetheart, Mary Louise (Young) LaBarron. Ray and Mary lived on William Street in Hornell for most of their married life, where they raised five children: Linda (Jim) Varner, Jeanne (Paul) McAnany, Bob (Lynne) LaBarron, Christine (Pat Congdon), and Kathy (Gary) Roberts. Ray and Mary enjoyed twelve grandchildren and five great grandchildren. Ray was always grateful that he was able to take care of his wife at their home during her end-of-life illness and passage in 2007. In 2009, Ray married Mary Trouslot LaBarron, whom he met in the Hornell Bridge Club, and the pair enjoyed these last six years of card playing, travel, and spending time with family, which now included Mary's daughter, Sasha Trouslot and her partner Gary Andrews of Henrietta.



Ray loved life, learning, and family, and wore those passions proudly, demonstrating by word and deed these values. He earned his Professional Engineer's license via a path of self-disciplined pursuit of educational opportunities found in the Air Force, community college classes, and Civil Service exams. He had a long career working for the NY State Department of Transportation. As a Soils Engineer, Ray was very proud of his contribution to the design and construction of the Southern Tier Expressway and the repair of the state highway system in the aftermath of the flooding with Hurricane Agnes in 1972. He retired in 1987 from his final post as the Resident Engineer of Western Steuben County. On road trips around the Southern Tier, he would proudly describe to his children the design elements and engineering challenges that shaped our region's roads and bridges.



Ray always had a project going— at his home in Hornell, helping with renovations and repairs at his childrens' homes, or in the beloved lake house that he built at Shore Acres, on Keuka Lake. He was a member of the Hornell United Presbyterian Church for sixty-one years, serving as a Trustee and Elder. He also served the Steuben Area Boy Scouts Council as a scout master, Troop 65. Ray enjoyed playing golf at Twin Hickory, winter trips to Florida, playing Hearts with the guys at the Carducci Lodge, dinners out, watching the Buffalo Bills, and enjoying a good breakfast and coffee with two or three morning newspapers.



To send a remembrance to the family, please visit www.brownandpowersfuneralhomes.com .



The family will hold calling hours at the Bender-Brown & Powers Funeral Home at

354 Canisteo St., Hornell, NY, on Thursday, August 11th, from 2-4 pm and 6-8 pm. A memorial service will be held at 11 am, Friday, August 12th, at the Hornell United Presbyterian Church, 150 Main Street. Use the Church Street Entrance to the Davidson Memorial Chapel. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to the Hornell United Presbyterian Church or the Five Rivers Council of the Boy Scouts of America.