Raymond George Chicoine

Raymond George Chicoine, age 91, of Crossville, TN, passed away at Cookeville Regional Medical Center on June 5, 2024. Mr. Chicoine was born on January 1, 1933, in Brattleboro, VT, son of the late Henry Chicoine and Alice (Langlois) Chicoine. Raymond served our country, joining the United States Air Force in January 1953 as a Flight Engineer for the C-141 Starlifter. He served in the following campaigns: Korean and Vietnam Wars, Berlin Corridor, Operation Dew Line and Deep Freeze. He served as a USAF Sky Marshall and was specially selected to be the lead flight engineer on the 1969 Bob Hope USO Tour.” As a result of the highly successful tour, the entire flight crew was invited to dinner at the White House by President Richard M. Nixon He met his wife, Jeannine on a blind date in Legal, Canada in 1955 and they married that year. They resided at numerous bases across the south and the state of California where he retired in February 1973. After retirement, he moved to his home state of Vermont where he worked at the Burlington Post Office until he was declared 100% disabled for his handling of Agent Orange. Always having to stay busy, he volunteered at the University of Vermont Medical Center in the Crisis Clinic. He loved the interaction with clients and often commented it was his favorite post-retirement job. He and Jeannine went on to enjoy retirement and raise their children. They settled in Las Vegas Nevada in 1990. While there for 32 years, they enjoyed many activities and Raymond drove for the Disabled American Veterans where he logged over 10,000 hours transporting Veterans to the VA hospital. Among his hobbies, he enjoyed restoring old cars such as a 1973 Mustang II, 1973 Mustang Mach 1, among others as well as going to the gym a few days a week on his bicycle. During the pandemic, he loved creating “works of art” as he called them using pinecones from his yard trees. Deciding to be closer to the majority of their children at the golden age of 88 and 89 respectively, they relocated to Fairfield Glade in Crossville, Tn in December 2021. Personal message from Kelly Smith. “Thank you for giving me your gift of gab and my outgoing, can-do attitude. It has served me well, dad. I love you.” Personal Message from Kerry Chicoine. “Dad, no one had a garden like yours, no one could rebuild a Corvair flat six like you, and no one built goldfish ponds and waterfalls like you. Rock and roll! Personal message from Valerie Crapo. “Thank you for my WWII submarine knowledge, daddy.” He is survived by his wife, Jeannine Anita Chicoine; children, Kim Chicoine, Valerie Crapo, Kerry Chicoine, and Kelly Smith (Gary); grandchildren, Dagny, Roark, Barron, Nicholas, and Morgan; great grandchildren, Zooey, Karly, Zakery, Nate, Adeline, Phineas, Ashlynn, and Dillon; siblings, Donald Chicoine and Lorraine Durovich; and numerous nieces and nephews in the Northeast. In addition to his parents, Raymond is preceded in death by his siblings, Reginald Chicoine, Janet Chicoine, Bernard Chicoine, and Maurice Chicoine. No services are scheduled at this time. Arrangements and Care provided by Bilbrey Funeral Home and Cremation Service.