Raymond C. Bownds of Utica, NY, passed away unexpectedly on November 10, 2020. Beloved husband, father, grandfather and sibling, Raymond was born in Midland, Texas, on March 3rd, 1950, and spent most of his early life in the Stuart, FL, area. He is the son of the late Clifton Bownds and Margaret (Shipes) Bownds. On April 5, 1971, Raymond married the love of his life, Nancy J. Furmanchik, in the chapel of Romeo and Juliet near Verona, Italy, where he was serving in the US Army. After returning to Florida, Raymond served as an elected official of the Martin County Water Commission and was the Martin County Planner, a role in which he was instrumental in creating the Comprehensive Plan which helped support much of the area’s rapid growth in the ensuing years. Raymond was known as a skilled craftsman. And, after moving with his family to central New York, he proudly expressed these skills with his custom docks, decks and fences with his two companies, Northern Dock and Deck and Utica Fence. Raymond was also skilled at helping others, a skill which eventually led him to embark on a career change to counseling after returning to school to complete his undergraduate and graduate degrees. Before his cancer diagnosis and early retirement, Raymond worked in the Psychiatric Department of St Luke’s Hospital where he received great satisfaction from counseling patients. He also established HERCO DDP during this time, where he worked in conjunction with Herkimer and Oneida Counties to teach impaired drivers in the NYS Drinking Driver Program. It was a program he took great pride in, especially when past students would approach him and tell him of the tremendous impact he had made in their lives. Raymond enjoyed life and spending time with his son, who Raymond always said was his proudest accomplishment, along with his treasured grandchildren he adored so much and so proudly rejoiced with around their similar spirits and shared joy of life. His devotion to family also extended to his lifelong pursuit in genealogy, where his many years of painstaking research led to the creation of an extended family group that now consists of several hundred enthusiastic relatives, spanning several continents. Raymond’s infectious personality and love of others did not stop with his family though, as he devoted a number of years as a coach for many local youth soccer and hockey teams. The many kids he coached who remained in touch with Raymond up until his passing serve as a testament to his popularity and lasting influence on others. Raymond also enjoyed boating and gardening in his free time. He was a truly kind and gentle soul who never judged and always had a smile on his face. This applied to his love of animals as well, including the many who adopted him as their servant and caretaker over the years. There is also no doubt Raymond possessed an amazing sense of humor. He was never afraid to speak his mind, especially on political matters, as those who knew him, including his social media jailors, can attest. Raymond was a dedicated member of St Joseph St Patrick Church in Utica, where he was so happy to have received his sacraments in 2018. Raymond is survived by his beloved wife of 49 years, Nancy, his son, Justin C. (J.C.) Bownds, grandson Jack Bownds, and granddaughter Allyson Bownds of Providence, RI. He is also survived by his brother Clifton and Cheryl Bownds of Mill Spring, NC., sister Linda and Walt Parsons of Universal City, TX, sister Janell and Dr. Dennis Knudsen, Liberal, KS, sister Lora and Anthony Walker, Kansas City, KS., sister-in-law Tina and Robert DeRocher of Port St Lucie, FL., sister-in- law Connie Clarkston of Port St Lucie, FL., along with several nieces, nephews, and friends. The family would like to express their heartfelt gratitude for the remarkable treatment during his five-year journey with cancer from the medical teams in Utica of Dr. Fayez Chaffee, Dr. Alicia Detraglia, Dr. Michael Sassower, and the Dana Farber Team in Boston, MA, of Dr. Ravindran Uppaluri, Dr. Roy Tishler, and Dr. Jochem Lorch, and Dr. Tracy Hansel, Rome, NY VA Center. A special thank you for the Emergency Team of St Elizabeth Hospital. Mr. Bownds funeral will be held on Friday, November 20, 2020 at 11:30 at St. Joseph and St. Patrick Church, Utica. Burial with Military Honors will be at Holy Trinity Cemetery. Calling hours will be from 11:00 – 11:30 at the church. Masks must be worn coving both the nose and mouth, social distancing and contact tracing will be implemented.