Obituary of raymond felician chagnard

Raymond Felician Chagnard, 85, of Pensacola, Florida, beloved husband of Kathleen Brandt Chagnard, died peacefully on August 5, 2020, after a brief illness. The oldest son of nine children, he was born in New Orleans, LA, on February 8, 1935 to Verna and "Dutch" Chagnard, and raised on Rabbit Island, a small island off Rigolet's Pass and Lake Borgne, in Orleans Parish, where he rode a train to school every day with nearly perfect attendance. He graduated from St. Aloysius High School, attended LSU, and graduated from the University of New Orleans with a BS in General Studies. Ray was a self-made man who grew up hunting, fishing, trapping, working in an oilfield, then rose to the top of his league as a manager with Amoco Corp. / BP in New Orleans. He was transferred to Amoco Houston where he retired early after a 35-year career, bought a live-aboard trawler with Kathy, and lived an adventurous life cruising the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic, the Bahamas, and settling in Fort Lauderdale, FL. A second career found him as an entrepreneur in Fort Lauderdale, then a construction supervisor for a large condominium development corporation in West Palm Beach, FL. When he and Kathy felt a need to move closer to home, they took up residence in Pensacola FL, where they met new friends and enjoyed many more opportunities for family visits. The adventure never stopped, including a getaway on Pensacola Beach and a condo in the French Quarter where friends and family could gather. Everyone loved and admired Raymond for the kind and friendly person he was. He was a quite a character, larger than life; he never met a stranger. He could fix anything, build anything, loved to help everybody and could whip up some good Cajun cooking. He lived an extraordinary life, from the tiny island where he grew up, to adventures on the high seas, to travelling the world, learning the histories and cultures of other countries. His favorite pastimes were fishing, boating, golfing, gardening, music, his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Raymond is survived by Kathy, his wife of 34 years; his three children, Rory Chagnard (Flor), Raymond F. Chagnard Jr. (Toni), Lori Elmer (Alan); two step-children, Erin Loupe (Ron) and James Arnold (Susan); many adoring grandchildren and great-grandchildren; his brothers, Vernon "Butch" Chagnard (Sylvia), Donell "Dink" Chagnard (Carole); sister, Debra Rohr (David); many cherished nieces, nephews, cousins, his beloved dog, Bailey and his first wife, Margaret Wood. He is preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Noel Chagnard and 4 sisters, Carrel Thomas, Cynthia Roquin, Adele Keen and Myrna Chagnard. A memorial service to be announced, will be held in New Orleans, LA.