CUMBERLAND – Joe Raynes told his last one-liner on the morning of Jan. 13, 2021. As someone that lived by the phrase “it is what it is,” he met his short-lived illness with great fortitude. He passed peacefully at home with his wife and two daughters by his side. As a lifelong Mainer, raised by J. Warren and Elizabeth L. Raynes, he attended Yarmouth High School (class of 1967) and University of Maine Orono (class of 1972). He graduated with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering before working at New England Telephone and its subsidiaries for 35 years. Joe was a 40-year member of the Yarmouth Riverside Cemetery Trustees Association, where generations of his family rest. In retirement, Joe checked off many things from his bucket list, from seeing crab fishing in Alaska to fulfilling his dream of visiting Normandy to honor those who served in World War II.He leaves behind a barn warmed by his grandfather’s wood-stove full of tools that his family is still learning how to use. The barn was a welcoming place for a cold beer, a NASCAR race, and advice on anything from repairing engines to life in general. He continued the tradition passed down from his father of hand-building wooden weathervanes modeled after schooner ships, even though we all know he wasn’t a sailor. The barn was home to antique vehicles, motorcycles, his dream ’67 Chevelle SS, and the pink chair for “resting his eyes.”As a fixture around Casco Bay, he held a valid Master 100-Ton Captain’s License for 20 years. Joe was always one call away with a solution to any problem on the water. He will be remembered for his generosity and knowledge of how to fix anything, making him someone you could always rely on and trust. His word was his word. Joe’s memory lives on through his wife, Kathy; his daughter Tyler and her husband Jim McGinley, their three children Molly, Ford and Bea; daughter Joanna Raynes and her partner Mike Sidow; his sister Bonnie Blue, her husband Dick Belanger, and their family.In lieu of flowers, please share your most memorable “Joe Raynes one-liners” with his family by mail or at joeraynesoneliners@gmail.com. This collection will be shared at the celebration of his “Final Tern” to be held when the tide is right.

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