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Joan M. Raynor
Joan M. Raynor of Southampton and Summerfiled, Florida, died on June 30 after a brief illness. She was 90.
She was born in Brooklyn on June 15, 1933. Although her family lived in Southampton, the long trip was made to the Brooklyn Methodist Hospital for her birth. Reason being that the first born child of Mable Duryea’s nieces were to be born in head nurse Duryea’s obstetrics’ unit.
Raynor was a true child of Southampton. She was among the 11th generation of one of the village’s founding fathers, Thomas Halsey. The oldest of six children born to Ed and Ruth (Duryea) McGurn, she loved the village she grew up in with a passion, her family said, and was always telling people she met where she was from and leaving them with a little bit of Southampton's history, especially after she moved south in her later years. A woman of strong opinion, her family said, she lamented the changes her town went through in her lifetime.
She was a student of history. Not only did she complete an extensive years-long family genealogy report that she had printed and bound for all of her extended family, she knew so much about the history of Southampton as well. An avid reader, she knew her Southampton history well, but her stories of her youth of the people and places in the town were something to hear. She especially was fond of telling the stories of riding around Southampton as a young girl with her grandfather, Fred Duryea, to inspect the masonry projects being performed by his crews. She also loved the beaches, bays and the ocean — and clams on the half shell.
She married Frank Raynor on November 8, 1952 —a marriage that would last 69 years. They met on the sidewalk on Elm Street, not far from her family home. He was on a ride to the “big” town of Southampton with his buddies from Bridgehampton. One of his friends was dating Joan, and they stopped to talk, and the rest is history.
The couple moved to the Raynor family potato farm on Mitchell Lane in Bridgehampton and started a family. After their third child was born, the decision was made to sell the farm and move to Southampton. In 1959, they settled into their home on Meeting House Lane, and two more children were born.
She worked Jobs as she could, one of which was for The Southampton Press, when the printing operation was located on Jobs Lane. Many will remember her from her years working at Southampton Hospital as a dietitian, and later as she worked in real estate. She was also active in the First Presbyterian Church of Southampton and later faithfully attended services at North Lake Presbyterian Church in Lady Lake, Florida.
She was predeceased by her parents, Charles Edward and Ruth Roselie (Duryea) McGurn; daughter Deborah Dalton; sisters Barbara Anderson and Kathy Foster; and brother William McGurn. She is survived by sisters Mable Kovacs and Susan Seymour; sons Charles S. (Marilyn), Daniel (Susan), Steven C. (Amy), and Jon (Katie); grandchildren Charles Dalton, Julia Qualk (Brendon), Carley Raynor, Kelly D’Angelo (Michael), Danielle Raynor, Frank Raynor II, Mark Raynor, William Raynor, and Jason Raynor; great-grandchildren Stella and Luke D’Angelo; many nieces and nephews.
Cremation was private. A memorial service will be held on July 29 at 11 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church of Southampton, 2 South Main Street, Southampton.
Staff Writer on Jul 10, 2023