In Bucks County, Christmas Day involves more than attending church services, opening gifts and enjoying a family feast. Since 1953, residents have gathered at Washington Crossing on that day to take part in or watch the reenactment of George Washington and the Colonial Army crossing the Delaware River on the night of December 25, 1776, aiming to surprise and defeat the British and Hessians at Trenton.
Ray Smecker definitely epitomizes the notion of living life to its fullest. “We have had so much fun,” Ray says of the life he and his wife, Megan, have led. A proud second-generation American, whose DNA Viking roots extend to Sweden (and Slovakia), Ray grew up in Munhall, Allegheny County. While most of his classmates made working in the steel industry a goal, Ray dreamed of writing books and in doing so, began penning short stories in the 9th grade. “I was the only football player in the girls’ typing class,” he reports. History also intrigued him, and he “adopted” George Washington as his long-lost relative. “I only had ‘The Greatest’ generation and first-generation relatives here, so I made up my own,” he explains.
In 1961, Ray joined the Air Force, which took him to France, where he became a member of a military softball team that played all over that country. Upon returning home in 1965, Ray and some friends found themselves at an ice-skating rink one evening, where he met a young lady named Megan, who was a first generation American (her parents emigrated from Wales). It was love at first skate. The two were married six months later, ultimately creating a family that includes three children, seven grandchildren, one great grandchild and a menagerie of animals. Megan shined as an artist; her canvases often relay her interest in history, as they depict historic properties and landscapes.
The two eventually settled in Fallsington, Bucks County. Ray worked in finance for U.S. Steel and Sears, eventually landing at MAB Paints. They bought an old farmstead (circa 1835) that, according to Ray, needed “a lot of work,” most of which he tackled. From there, the couple’s love of Morgan horses, Cavalier King Charles spaniels, bluebirds, the environment and other pursuits took off. Their neighbors included the heralded authors James Michener (who Ray refers to as Jimmy) and Pearl Buck. He also continued writing (using a pen name). “I didn’t want MAB to think I was neglecting my job,” he explains.
He submitted his first story in 1975 to Bucks County Panorama Magazine’s Bicentennial Writing Contest and won a prize. The article appeared in the magazine’s Christmas 1976 Bicentennial issue that was distributed at the Crossing. He was also awarded a seat on the 4th Durham boat for the reenactment. A year later, the Washington Crossing Foundation awarded Ray the sword, costume and role of playing Washington’s Second in Command, Gen. Hugh Mercer, who was wounded during the second battle of Trenton (January 3, 1777). Mercer, who refused to leave his troops, was mistaken for Washington by British forces who demanded he surrender. Instead, Mercer stood his ground and was further wounded by a barrage of bayonet attacks, succumbing to his injuries on January 12.
“It’s amazing to see how many people show up that day,” Ray says of the 2 p.m. event that kicks off with a color guard ceremony (of which his two sons Scott and Jeff once were members), followed by the crossing (if the weather is uncooperative, the participants march across the bridge). “I think the support they show for the event and its sponsors [Washington Crossing Historic Park, Friends of Washington Crossing Park and The Washington Crossing Foundation] stands as an affirmation of what took place there and made this country what it is,” Ray remarks. “You can see on the faces of the attendees that they ‘get it.’ What took place there changed the direction of the war.” Ray “retired” from the event in 1990.
In 2002, he retired from MAB. Having enjoyed their visits to Lancaster County, the Smeckers acquired a property in Churchtown and built a small farmette that includes a Williamsburg-inspired house, a small barn and a bluebird habitat. “I had been in a car accident right after we moved in and couldn’t do much and all of a sudden strangers started showing up at the door asking how they could be of help,” Ray recalls. That served as the Smeckers first introduction to their Amish neighbors. “They are incredible people,” he says of the friendships he and Megan have forged.
Ray has also been busy writing and photographing happenings around the Churchtown area; he is the author of five books (several illustrated by Megan), with two more soon to make their debuts through Masthof Press in Morgantown. Proceeds have benefitted various nonprofits, which Ray firmly believes “make this county great.”
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