Endicott man, 82, built his own earthen home

Show Caption Hide Caption VIDEO: The house that Ray built Raymond L. Correll died on May 10.

Set back on Day Holllow Road is an earthen home, built into a hillside in Endicott.

The home has been an attraction to passing motorists who often slow down to photograph the residence. Rocks transcribed with the names Connor, Maeve and Ryan decorate the house's garden — signs of a home well-loved by grandchildren.

The house is the brainchild of Raymond Correll, who designed and built the structure to avoid dependency on gas companies.

The home is just one part of the legacy left behind by Raymond, called Ray by friends, who died on May 10.

Ray leaves behind a life full of handiwork, music, classic cars and family.

The house that Ray built

Ray, who grew up in West Corners, set out to build an earthen home in 1983. He was inspired by the homes he saw while traveling the country, and studied books for several years before even picking up a tool.

"I remember the first time he drew it for me," said Ray's wife of 25 years, Sheila. "And it's pretty much exactly what he designed."

Ray designed the home, and his brother, a brick mason, helped him build it. The pair found old brick from barns, stones from local creeks and rivers, and cut up old telephone poles for beams. In addition to the design and construction, Ray also did the home's electrical work and plumbing.

Ray worked on the home until 1988 while working full-time at Universal Instruments. Friends, family and co-workers chipped in to build the home.

Women made sandwiches, while men poured concrete and laid bricks.

"It was so much fun," said Ray's sister Margaret DeCavage.

Beside the home are two large garages: one to park cars in and host family gatherings, and another for Ray to repair classic cars.

The home has been the location of showers, funerals, birthday parties, and even Ray and Sheila's wedding. The couple were married in the rock walkways in the home's front garden.

"We've always been on the rocks ever since," Sheila joked before reading a sympathy card from a friend describing her relationship with Ray as a "fairy-tale love."

The house also has been a destination for field trips for local elementary schools and Binghamton University classes.

"It's been very successful and very comfortable for all these years," Sheila said.

A trusted repairman

When Ray was a child, he came down with polio and was forced to be in bed for six months. So to pass the time, he took apart everything in the house, from toasters to clocks, and put them back together.

Throughout his life, Ray was constantly putting things back together.

Sue Verity, Ray's daughter-in-law, said her family kept a basket in her house — full of items that needed fixing — called the "grandpa basket."

"He always wanted to make things function better and fix things that weren't right," Verity said.

For 26 years, Ray served as the manager of machine repair and maintenance at Universal Instruments.

Dale Strong worked under Ray in the machine repair department in the 1980s. He calls Ray the best boss he ever had and his time working for Ray as the best time of his life.

Every day, the department ate lunch together and played poker.

"We worked for Ray," Strong said. "We didn't work for Universal Instruments."

Strong said Ray made sure that everyone in the company — from the janitor to the vice president — was treated as an equal.

"He made us excel," Strong said. "He didn't let us fail."

Strong has moved on to a different career but keeps a picture of Ray hanging on his office wall.

"He taught me how to be a man, how to respect people and how to do a day's work," Strong said. "And I've carried that all my life."

In his spare time, Ray rebuilt classic cars, including a 1934 Chevy from scratch.

Every morning, he and a group of about 20 of his friends met at Shelley's Deli in Endicott to chat about cars and discuss politics.

Ray's friend Bob Wilcox used to attend the Shelley's meet-up and visit Ray as he repaired cars in his garage.

"He did everything in a classy way," Wilcox said. "Everything was kept nice, neat, orderly."

When not fixing cars, Ray played the five-string banjo in bluegrass festivals and was a member of the bands Spare Parts and The Time Bombs.

Gene Clayton, who met Ray while he served in the Army Reserves in the 1970s and played in Spare Parts with him, said Ray was a common "go-to guy."

"He was always available to help you out," Clayton said. "And he had the skills to help you out."

A blended family

By the time Ray and Sheila were married, they each had grown children of their own.

The two families became one, with Ray and Sheila doting over each other's grandchildren, and attending ball games, award ceremonies and concerts.

"He made sure that the family melded together, both sides," said Ray's daughter Ellen Coppola.

Coppola remembers Ray as a "cool dad" and said the family never missed a Christmas Eve's at Ray and Sheila's.

"He was a very good father, but he was an excellent grandfather," Coppola said. "He finally had time to be able to spend with his grandchildren."

Ray showed a particular fondness for his grandson Connor, Verity's son, who the couple began babysitting when Connor was 4 months old.

Initially, Ray did not want to have a baby in the house, because he feared it would change his style.

But Ray immediately fell in love with Connor, taking him everywhere, including to his morning visits to Shelley's. Ray drank coffee, and Connor drank milk.

Now 18 years old, Connor rarely left Ray's side.

"He surprised himself with the depth of affection that he had," Sheila said.

Ray is survived by his wife, Sheila; children Ray (Jeanne) Correll, Ellen (Larry) Coppola, Ray (Patti) Hawley, Kelly (Glen) Cone; five grandchildren and five great-granddaughters; extended family Chris (Sue) Verity, James (Angela) Verity and six grandchildren; devoted sister Margaret (Allan) DeCavage; many nieces and nephews; special nephew Roger Correll; former wife and dear friend Theresa Correll; and close pals Connor and Pickles.

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