Friends and family on Wednesday paid final respects to Raymond C. Zanta, a longtime city barber who became an advocate for crime victims after his daughter's brutal 1974 murder, in a case that sparked headlines for years. Zanta, 94, of Schenectady, died peacefully at home on Nov. 6 following a long illness. The World War II veteran was buried with military honors on Wednesday. He was married for 71 years to his wife, Isabelle, who survives him.

After growing up in Pennsylvania, Zanta's family moved to Schenectady. He served in the U.S. Army for two years during World War II, then attended the Royal Academy Barber School and operated Ray’s Barber Shop on Chrisler Avenue in Mont Pleasant for 64 years, not retiring until 2013 when he was in his late 80s.  He was affectionately known for decades as “Ray the Barber."