Raymond F. Eid

Raymond F. Eid died on October 18, 2026, at the age of 99.

Ray’s life was rich in experience and grounded in a deep faith in Christ and a love for his family. As a husband, father, grandfather, immigrant, patriot, and community leader, he taught his family to focus on what matters most in a life well lived: Faith, Family, and Friends. He died on the same date as his own father, and now joins his parents, siblings and daughter Annie-Marie in the blessings of Christ. He is survived by his wife, Veronica Matthews Eid; his daughter, Kathleen Eid-Heberle, and her husband, Mark Heberle; his son, Stephen Eid, and his wife, Darcy; and four grandchildren: Colleen, John, Gabrielle, and Elizabeth.

Ray was born in 1927 to Lebanese parents in the then-cosmopolitan city of Alexandria, Egypt. He attended French schools and the University of Alexandria, where he studied in Arabic and earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural sciences. After graduation, he co-founded a business in Cairo to introduce modern crop protection products to Egyptian agriculture. In 1957, he came to the University of Delaware as a graduate research assistant and earned a master’s degree in plant pathology. While there, he met Veronica Matthews of Wilmington, Delaware. They were married in 1960.

After graduating in 1959, Ray joined the DuPont Company’s Agricultural Chemicals Division in Wilmington, DE. His fluency in four languages, deep technical talent, and ability to move seamlessly among cultures launched a highly successful career establishing DuPont Agriculture’s international business while living in Paris, Geneva, and Tokyo. After 20 years leading numerous international business units, Ray and his family returned to Wilmington, where he took on strategic planning responsibilities. He retired in 1990 after a distinguished 31-year career with DuPont.

In retirement, Ray advised a range of agricultural stakeholders on integrating new crop protection technologies into farming practices for a sustainable American agriculture. He was appointed Vice-Chair of the USDA Sustainable Agriculture Advisory Council and remained an active member of the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture, the oldest society of its kind in the United States. He was also a Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, a member of the renowned wine society of Burgundy, France. The Government of France appointed Ray Honorary Consul in Wilmington, and for his service and his efforts on behalf of Franco-American friendship, he was awarded the French Government’s ‘Ordre National du Mérite’ (National Order of Merit).

Ray was a longtime member and instructor at the University of Delaware’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, where he served as Curriculum Chair and on the Governing Council. He shared his love of history by teaching many well-attended courses, including ‘A History of the Middle East’ and ‘A History of the Crusades’. For his contributions to American business and society, he was inducted into the University of Delaware Alumni Wall of Fame.

Ray will be buried privately in St. Joseph on the Brandywine Cemetery, Greenville, DE.