Obituary of Steven C. Rayner
Steven C. Rayner, 61, of North Plainfield, passed away Thursday, July 13, 2023, at his home, surrounded by loving family and friends, after a long and courageous battle with cancer.
Steve was born in New Brunswick and raised in the Rutgers Village section of New Brunswick, where he attended Woodrow Wilson Elementary School and formed lifelong friendships. He was a 1979 graduate of New Brunswick High School. He has resided in North Plainfield for the last 31 years.
Steve was a Licensed Land Surveyor and had been employed by John Cilo Jr. Associates in Somerville for many years before going to work for his most recent employer, Paulus, Sokolowski & Sartor LLC in Warren.
Always a man of faith, Steve’s love of Christ continued to grow stronger through the years. He found great joy in attending services at the Zarephath Christian Church.
Steve’s adult life revolved around the love of his life Marcy and their son Tyler. He was a coach for North Plainfield T-Ball and continued coaching Tyler up until North Plainfield High School Baseball. He was an active participant in both the Cub Scouts and then Boys Scout Troop 235, assisting in anyway he could.
Steve’s life was filled with varied interests and hobbies. He was a die-hard Dallas Cowboys fan and a longtime devoted fan of the NY Mets and the NJ Devils. He greatly enjoyed attending concerts, especially Christian, Country, and Rock & Roll bands. He was a gun enthusiast, spending time sharpening his skills at the range with his son, and was a proud Harley Davidson owner. He was competitive by nature and enjoyed all types of board games. Steve was comfortable in the kitchen and had a slight obsession with kitchen gadgets. He was a wonderful baker and quite famous for his chocolate chip cookies. He was blessed with a fantastic sense of humor and an enormous heart. He loved spending time with his large circle of friends and family joking and having fun. Steve loved animals and sadly bid farewell to his wonderful dogs Rusty in 2017 and Harley just recently.
He was predeceased by his father Theodore in 1989, his mother Doris on June 23rd of this year, and his brother Ronald on March 30th also of this year.
Steve’s memory will be cherished by his beloved wife of 32 and a half years, Marcy (Gloger) Rayner, his loving son Tyler A. Rayner, his sister Patricia A. Cladek and her husband Walter, his sister-in-law Gretchen G. Rayner, his sister-in-law Bonnie Varga, her husband Jim and her son Aaron Maisto, 6 additional nieces and nephews and a myriad of wonderful friends.
Relatives and friends are invited to join the family in celebrating Steve’s life at a memorial service being held Friday, July 21, 2023, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Higgins Home for Funerals, 752 Mountain Blvd., Watchung, NJ. Services will begin at 6 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider making donations to St. Jude’s Children's Research Hospital.
