Raymond Laverne Coultrip Jr.

Col. Raymond Laverne Coultrip, MD (ret.) of Colorado Springs age 96, passed away peacefully in his sleep at home on Sunday, March 24, 2024. Raymond is preceded in death by his first wife, Narcissa Ellen, the mother of his 4 children. He is survived by his second wife, Ann, 4 children, 8 grandchildren, 2 great great grandchildren, 3 step children, and 7 step grandchildren. Raymond was proud of his military service spanning the Navy, Air Force, and more extensively, the Army – including the Special Forces. As early as the 2nd grade, Raymond wanted to be a doctor. He joined the Navy during WWII at the age of 17. He completed pre-med and medical school at George Washington University (GWU) where he met his first wife, Ellen. In his later years he made generous financial contributions to GWU. He initially practiced medicine in the Air Force. Subsequently he practiced medicine in rural North Dakota. There he made many lifelong friends. The town still celebrated him with a parade many years later in his elder years. He loved hunting and camping, especially on his property in the North Dakota badlands where he frequently visited up to his final days. Raymond had a fondness for dogs. He had a special pet cemetery in the Badlands where he would bury each dog when they passed. Raymond especially liked musicals such as South Pacific and The Sound of Music. When the Vietnam War started Raymond joined the Army, served in Vietnam and had many tours in America and overseas, including the Panama Canal Zone and Germany. He retired in Colorado Springs and after being widowed, married his second wife, Ann. In retirement years he loved friends and family, gardening, walking dogs, investing, traveling, and making award-winning wine from grapes, raspberries, blackberries, and cherries from their home garden who he generously shared with friends and family.