Sag Harbor artist Raymond Ray" Spahn dies at 57"

Raymond “Ray” Spahn died on October 3 at his Sag Harbor home surrounded by his family and his pup, Smudge, following a courageous battle with cancer. An artist whose landscape pastels were exhibited for 25 years in galleries in New York City and on eastern Long Island, he was 57.

Born July 22, 1952, in Rockville Centre, to George Raymond Spahn and Virginia “Ginny” Marie Murphy, he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Cooper Union School of Art in 1976 and attended Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture on a scholarship in 1975. He lived at East 10th Street in New York City before moving to the East End—drawn by his passion for nature—for its dramatic qualities of light and the open and wide landscapes of the farms, ocean and skies. According to survivors, his work reflects his passion and his commitment to interpret the beauty of the East End.

He taught at Guild Hall in East Hampton, the Victor D’Amico Institute of Art (Art Barge) in Amagansett, and the Montauk Art Association. He received honorable mention in a juried exhibition at the Parrish Art Museum in Southampton and was guest artist at the Ross School and at Pierson High School in Sag Harbor. In addition, as a member of the East End Artists Alliance, he participated in fund-raising for The Nature Conservancy.

He also worked as a houseplant retail manager at Marder’s Garden Center for several years, as a retail clerk at Eddie Bauer, and as a postal worker at the Sag Harbor Post Office.

Through his work within the East End communities, he established many sincere friends and co-workers. “His spirit for the natural environment that he so successfully captured in his artwork will be with us and will continue to enrich our lives,” said his domestic partner and companion of more than 18 years, Stan LaFlotte. “Those of us who have been fortunate to be part of his life will miss him dearly, and will always cherish the time spent with him. And those who only knew his artwork will understand the loss of such a creative spirit.”

In addition to Mr. LaFlotte, he is survived by a brother, Jeffrey Spahn of Bayport; a sister, Kathleen Spahn of Maine; four nephews, Frank, Mike, Darryl, and Asa; two nieces, Christina and Adrianna; and two great-nieces, Madison and Jillian.

A memorial service will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 10, at Yardley & Pino Funeral Home in Sag Harbor.

In lieu of flowers, donations to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065; Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons, P.O. Box 901, Wainscott, NY 11975; East End Hospice, P.O. Box 1048, Westhampton Beach, NY 11978; or Doctors Without Borders, 2nd Floor, 333 7th Avenue, New York, NY 10001-5004 would be appreciated by the family.