Charles "Charlie" F. Raymond, aged 87, died at his home in Westfield on Thurs. April 8, 2021.  Born in Springfield on Sept. 16, 1933, he was the only son of Blanche M. (Smith) Raymond and Charles Gilman Raymond. Raised by his mother, Charlie (also fondly known as Daddy, Pepe, Gramp, and the "Cookie Monster") grew up in Springfield and graduated from Springfield Trade School where he met the love of his life, Shirley A. Gravel. They married in 1954, the same year he started working at Hoff Auto Parts in the machine shop and at the counter. In 1956 he began working at Fairbanks Auto School as a driving instructor. Over the next four years he taught over 1,000 individuals how to drive.  In August 1960 he began a 27-year career at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, United Technologies, in East Hartford, CT where he was a foreman in the welding department until taking an early retirement in 1987. For the next several decades you could find him puttering with boats and their engines at Saunders Boat Livery in Southwick where he lived with his wife and family prior to moving to Westfield. When not working on the boats, he was driving them around the lakes meeting up with friends and teaching his children (and anyone else who asked) how to water ski. A former member of Congamond South Pond Assoc., he served as their President and was Treasurer for over seven years. Charlie's mechanical aptitude and his love of all modes of transportation followed him throughout life.  From 1957 to the mid 1960's he and his wife were active members of the Valley Sports Car Club of Springfield Mass. planning and participating in their monthly car rallies. He donated his collections of many years of newsletters and rally details to the International Motor Racing Research Center in Watkins Glen, N.Y. so all that he enjoyed would be available to other enthusiasts.  He loved trains and enjoyed going to rail museums. He was always the first to sign up to attend the air shows at Pratt & Whitney so he and his family could see the work he did that contributed to engines flying all those planes. He spent a number of years touring New England and the east coast from Mass. to Florida with Shirley on his motorcycle.  And of course, there were the many years he enjoyed his snowmobiles and the adventures he had as a member of the Pioneer Valley Sno-Goers in Southwick and the Mohawk Trailblazers of Florida, MA riding the trails in the winter months. Nicknamed "The Miracle Worker" and "Mr. Fix-it," he made things broken whole again. This was especially true if it had to do with boats.  He was particularly fond of the old woodies and classics found cruising on Congamond Lakes, the CT River, and many other locales.  He loved his annual September trek with Shirley, boat in tow, to Lake George, N.Y.  Charlie lived for the boat club Baystate Woodies, now known as the Baystate Classic Boat Club of ACBS. He and Shirley were familiar faces at the many Antique and Classic Boat Society shows they attended across New England and beyond.  Over the years he served in all the club's leadership roles and was the named editor emeritus of their "Bowline" newsletter.  For decades he was their Boat Show Chairperson taking care of all the details of their annual boat shows held at the OxBow Marina in Northampton. Charlie was the club's fund-raising liaison to the Shriner's Hospital.  Each year he looked forward to attending the donors' luncheon where, on behalf of the club, he would present sizable cash donations and many pounds of aluminum tabs that were collected throughout the year. Charlie will be dearly missed by his wife Shirley, daughters Tina Peters (Herbie), Tammy Colson and Pamela Jakubiec (Mark) and his son Charles Raymond Jr. (Jeanna) along with his grandchildren Naome, Andrew, Nathan, Tonia, Jessica, Branden and Sophia along with his great-grandchildren Elyza, Emma, Hannah, and Aria, and many nieces and nephews. The family would like to thank Evette, Roz and Vinette for caring for Charlie during these last months. Visiting hour 10:30 a.m. t0 11:30 a.m. Saturday April 17th at Curran & Jones Funeral Home, 109 Main St., West Springfield, MA 01089 followed by burial at Agawam Center Cemetery. Because of COVID19, masks and social distancing required. A celebration of his life and love of friends and family (probably near a body of water with boats) will be held sometime in the future.  In lieu of flowers, please send your donation in Charlie's memory to the Shriners Hospital for Children, Springfield Unit, 516 Carew Street, Springfield, MA 01104 or to the Mary Lyon Church, Window Campaign, P.O.Box 87, Buckland MA 01338