A funeral mass was held July 11 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel for Raymond F. Skop, 64, a lifelong resident of Jersey City. He passed away July 3 surrounded by his family. Ray attended Dickinson High School and Jersey City State College. He owned and operated Westside Indoor Archery Range and was a grammar school teacher in St. Aloysius during the late 1970s and a physical education teacher in Our Lady of Mt. Carmel throughout the 1980s. He had a passion for buying and selling cars and established R.S. C.C.C. Motors Corp. with brother, Robert Skop. He also owned and operated Charlie Brown’s Coffee Shop on West Side Avenue in the 1980s. He began working for the City of Jersey City in 1993 as the Director of Building Maintenance. He held many positions within the city during his career and retired from the Law Department, Municipal Prosecutor’s Office in 2010.
He founded the Skop’s Rosary Society and Ray of Hope Foundation, a nonprofit organization established to help children in need. He was the President of the Marion Block Association for many years. He was also a community activist and had a great love for the City of Jersey City. Raymond will be remembered for his love and devotion of helping others, conversations and passion for public speaking. He enjoyed collecting motorcycles, cars and all types memorabilia. He loved to do things outdoors, hunt, fish, crab, and soak up the sun. He also had a love for gardening, barbequing, planning parties and animals, especially dogs and all types of birds. He enjoyed dancing and listening to an array of music, especially Doo Wop, Disco and Rock and Roll. He faithfully prayed the rosary and his entire life to others. He had a special gift of bringing everyone together.
He was the husband of Nancy Skop (Polockowitz) for 38 years; the and father of Wendy Skop Razzoli and Raymond J. Skop; the father in law of Paul Razzoli and Mabelle (Manzo) Skop; amazing grandfather of Samantha, Christina, Daniella and Gabriella Skop; uncle to Susan Rubino and Mariann Ceterko. He is also survived by his sisters in law, Oksana Skop and Ann Marie Ceterko and her husband Ken in and a host of aunts, cousins and many relatives, friends, rosarians and former coworkers. Raymond was predeceased by his parents, John and Paula Skop, and brothers, Roger and Robert Skop.
Services arranged by the McLaughlin Funeral Home, Jersey City.