Raymond Ferris Waite, 74, of Littlejohn Island, Yarmouth, Maine, passed away peacefully on August 4, 2024 following a long, yet courageous battle with heart failure.
Services for Raymond were held at Arlington National Cemetery, in Virginia on Oct 17, 2024. Here is a link for a video of the service: https://my.anc.media/3BWwZkC
Ray was born on March 12, 1950 to Margaret and Ralph Waite in Baltimore, Maryland. After Ray graduated from Carson Long Military Academy in 1969, he studied at Norwich University for a year. He enlisted in the Army and deployed as a Sergeant in support of the Vietnam War.
Ray completed one circulation on the ground leading patrols through the jungle and a second, volunteering as an M16 door gunner on a Loach Helicopter (OH-6 Cayuse). As a Door Gunner, he flew 125 flight missions earning five Air Medals. He earned the Distinguished Service Cross for his undaunted valor during the ‘Easter Offensive’ highlighted in the book “Battle For An Loc, 1972” by Matt Jackson, published in June 2023.
After completing his enlistment, he went on to study business at the University of Southern Maine. He graduated cum laude with a degree in both Business and Communication.
In 1974, Ray met his first wife Kimberly Crawford at Deering Ice Cream in Yarmouth. Ray and Kim raised their two children, Benjamin Charles Waite and Jonathan Sanford Waite.
As he tells the story, after college he landed a job on an offshore fishing vessel out of Portland, Maine where he learned to ‘winter fish’. From that experience, he purchased a boat, ‘Lost Soul’ and became a crab fisherman on Casco Bay. He started a successful business catching, picking, and selling crabmeat to local restaurants, sandwich shops, and consumers.
Following his divorce in 1986, he shifted to primarily fishing lobsters out of Littlejohn Island. He would proudly share how he purchased his current lobster boat in Nova Scotia for $22,000 Canadian, when the exchange rate was 50 cents on the dollar. ‘Pa’ named the boat for his grandchildren, ‘Mary Audrey Myles’.
Ray was an avid writer and author of ‘The Blue Crab’ published in 1992.
In May 2022, Ray began seeing his longtime friend, Linda Cady. They were fortunate to be able to spend two years together. ‘Pepe’ enjoyed frequent visits with ‘Meme’s’ three young grandsons. Ray and Linda married in a hope-filled ceremony at ‘The Brigham’ in Boston.
Raymond was predeceased by his brother Sanford Waite. He is survived by his loving and supportive sister Pam Waite and a brother Jack Waite. His sons: Benjamin Waite (wife, Erin) and Jonathan Waite. His grandchildren: Mary, Audrey and Myles Waite. Nieces and Nephews: Jack Waite, Scott Waite, Daniel Waite, Bailey Mcgrann-Wells, and Andrew Massey. And his faithful cat, Mittens.
If friends and family wish to donate in Ray’s memory, the family suggests donations be made to ‘The Fisher House’, an organization providing housing for hospitalized Veteran’s families and where the Waite family resided during Ray’s hospital stay in Boston.
