ELLSWORTH – Charles Raymond Herrington Jr. died May 13, 2011, in Ellsworth. He was born Nov. 7, 1933, in Anthony, Kan., the son of Charles R. and Leona (Harvey) Herrington of Cherokee, Okla.
Ray grew up on a farm in Cherokee, Okla. He attended Lambert High School, Lambert, Okla., and attended Oklahoma State University, where he met his wife, Barbara. They were married in 1952 and moved from Oklahoma to Maine in 1955. For 27 years Ray worked throughout Maine for the Soil Conservation Service ending his career in Orono. Ray and Barbara retired to Gouldsboro in 1983 and spent their later years together in Ellsworth. Ray was a true Renaissance man, teaching himself skills ranging from woodworking to flying airplanes. His creativity was impressive. He became an accomplished artist, carving birds and fish. He built his own house, crafting many of the details. Ray loved hunting and fishing with his sons. He taught them gun safety, archery and survival techniques. He enjoyed including his sons in everything he did. He was a creative inspiration to his sons, teaching them that one can always try something new, coupled with endless praise, boundless encouragement and his non-judgmental nature. Throughout Ray’s life, family was always a priority.
Ray is survived by his wife, Barbara B. (Bryce) Herrington; his sons, Charles “Chuck” R. Herrington III and his wife, Eileen (Trecosta) Herrington, and their children, Dale and Jill, of New Hampshire, David B. Herrington and his wife, Denise M. Hue, of Ellsworth, Donald L. Herrington and his wife, Tatyana N. (Dubrovskaya) Herrington, and their children, Dimitry, Dasha and Sofia, of Ellsworth, Mark T. Herrington and his wife, Lisa Y. Tilden-Herrington, and their children, Henry and Phoebe of Franklin, and his AFS son, Rene A. Bastias and his wife, Kristyn Bastias-Butler, and their children, Elizabeth and Andres, of Connecticut; his brother, James E. Herrington of Cherokee, Okla.; many nieces and nephews.
A memorial service is planned at a later date in Franklin. Interment will be at Bayside Cemetery, Franklin. In lieu of flowers, the family requests gifts in Ray’s memory to be made to Robert and Mary’s Place, P.O. Box 1533, Ellsworth, ME 04605 or Friends in Action, P.O. Box 1446, Ellsworth, ME 04605. Condolences may be expressed at
www.jordanfernald.com.