NAUGATUCK — Raymond M. Karaban, age 58, passed away peacefully at his home on Monday, July 22, 2024.
Born in Waterbury on Aug. 27, 1965, he was the son of Lorraine (Belletti) Karaban of Naugatuck and the late Raymond B. Karaban. Ray was a longtime Naugatuck resident.
During his youth, Ray played basketball and Little League Baseball and continued to be an avid sportsman throughout his life. He thoroughly enjoyed fishing, golfing, skiing in Colorado, playing softball with his buddies, and competing in card tournaments.
Ray was a huge fan of the New York Yankees and Giants, and UConn basketball. He was a hard worker and an excellent salesman.
Besides his mother Lorraine, he is survived by his cherished daughter Leah Karaban of Wallingford; his sister Debra Karaban and his brother Christopher Karaban, both of Naugatuck; his nieces Nicole Lastra and Kylie Karaban, and his nephews Justin and Joshua Lastra; his aunt Sue Belletti and uncle Lawrence Belletti; and many cousins.
After his father passed, Ray filled the shoes of his father by taking care of the family, especially his mother and sister. Ray (known as RayRay), was always the life of the party and had many lifelong friends; his cousin Mark Koslosky, whom he considered another brother, Victor Kloc, Pete LaCharity, and Michael Ardry.
Ray was a devoted father who loved spending time with Leah. When she was a little girl he taught her how to fish and how to drive [–] the most important survival skills according to him. In recent years, their favorite things to do together were connecting over lunch, playing mini golf, spending time with his granddogs Izzy and Pippa, and taking long drives to explore new places.
Visitation was to be on Monday, July 29, 2024, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Naugatuck Valley Memorial/Fitzgerald-Zembruski Funeral Home, 240 N. Main St., Naugatuck.
Gifts in Raymond’s memory may be donated to a GoFundMe page set up for Leah to help with funeral costs: https://gofund.me/448e7764.
To send an online condolence, please visit naugatuckvalleymemorial.com.
