Earl Raymond

Earl W. Raymond, 94, of Falmouth, ME, passed with the dawn on Friday, Feb. 2, 2024. Born in Lowell, MA on 5/23/29, he was proud of his family’s lineage, tracing back to a Revolutionary War ancestor. After an early graduation from high school, Mr. Raymond enlisted in the Marine Corps, serving as a Corporal at the Marine Air Station at Cherry Point, N.C. He received a B.A. in Forestry from The University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 1952, hitchhiking across the country to spend college summers working as a Smokejumper with the U.S. Forest Service in Montana. He received an M.S. in Forestry from Yale University in 1953. Thereafter, Mr. Raymond spent his entire working life with the James W. Sewall Company in Old Town, Maine, retiring as C.O.O. He was integral to the formation and leadership of the Maine Society of Land Surveyors.

Mr. Raymond was a lifelong outdoorsman, a skier, kayaker and hiker. He was a Maine Guide, and a founding member of the Maine Chapter of the International Appalachian Trail, to which he devoted much time. He spent much of his retirement researching and writing about the history of surveying and mapping in the state of Maine, writing more than a dozen papers which he donated to the Maine Historical Society. He was an amateur astronomer who shared his knowledge and love of the stars while working for many years as a volunteer for the National Park Service. In his retirement, Mr. Raymond traveled the world, staying in elder hostels and adventuring in Europe, India, New Zealand, China, Mongolia, Peru, Argentina and Antarctica. While traveling in Africa, he climbed near the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Into his last few months, he enjoyed kayaking local lakes and ponds, and across Falmouth Harbor to Clapboard Island. He was never happier than when he was out of doors, or reading a good book.

Earl Raymond devoted his life to and is survived by his daughter, Lisa R. Bertonazzi of Uxbridge MA, his grandson Nicholas G. Bertonazzi, also of Uxbridge; his son Paul D. Raymond of Falmouth, ME, his grandson William E. Raymond of Seattle, WA; his daughter, Susan R. Rioux of Scarboro, ME, his son-in-law Stephen Rioux, granddaughter Margaux S. Rioux, and grandson Thomas S. Rioux, all of Scarborough, ME. step-grandson Luke Rioux his wife, Cary Phoenix, and their children of Yarmouth and step-granddaughter, Mikaela Rioux of San Francisco, California. He is also survived by a brother, Paul R. Raymond of Burlington, MA and a sister, Charlotte Gunther, of Norfolk, VA, many nieces and nephews. He will be fondly remembered and deeply missed by family and his many friends, whose company he treasured.

He was predeceased by his wife of 41 years, Joyce (Lessard) Raymond, and Maureen Ellerton, his longtime companion.

Visitation will be 10am - Noon Saturday, February 10 at Jones, Rich, & Barnes Funeral Home, 199 Woodford Street, Portland where a service will follow at 12 noon.

Memorial donations may be made to the Maine Chapter, International Appalachian Trail https://www.maineiat.org/donate/ or to Dark Sky Maine https://darkskymaine.com/donate

Online condolences may be shared with his family at jonesrichandbarnes.com.