SAMUEL OTIS RAYMOND

1928 - 2021

RAYMOND, Samuel Otis Adventurer, Inventor and Oceanographic Engineer, dies at 93 From diving under the ice at the North Pole with the National Geographic Society to exploring the ancient culture of Tibet with his daughter, Sam Raymond led a life full of adventure, world travel, endless curiosity and innovation. The son of inventor Horace Raymond, Sam earned his BS in Mechanical Engineering from MIT in 1950. After graduation, he worked with his former professor and mentor, Dr. Harold Edgerton, eventually heading the ocean products division at EG&G. His love for the ocean, interest in photography and skills as a mechanical engineer led Sam to found Benthos Undersea Systems in North Falmouth, MA in 1962. Benthos became a leader in designing and manufacturing equipment for ocean science and underwater photography. Sam and Benthos contributed to many important oceanographic research expeditions for organizations including Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and the National Geographic Society. Benthos equipment was used to capture the first photographs of the wreck of RMS Titanic on the sea floor, as well as in filming underwater sequences for James Cameron's movie Titanic. Sam enjoyed scuba diving, skiing, spelunking, hiking, trail biking, traveling and music, playing jazz on piano and clarinet. His wanderlust led him to travel around the world, often with little more than a small backpack and his trusty ukulele, traveling by bus and staying in youth hostels. Driven by boundless curiosity, Sam loved tinkering, figuring out how things work, and imagining ways to make them work better. He was inquisitive, creative, and unafraid to risk failure, confident that he could solve any problem and leave the world a better place than he found it. Sam is survived by his children Eric, Vaun, Nixie and Monica; his brother George; brother-in-law Jack Heinzmann; grandsons Morgan and Jesse; and his first wife Heidi, the mother of his children. He was predeceased by his wife Holly Nichols Raymond, his brother Richard, and his sister Jean Heinzmann. To watch a two-part video biography of Sam, Google "The Adventures of Sam Raymond." For a full obituary and guest book, go to https://beautifultribute.com/samuel-otis-raymond/ A celebration of life will be planned for the summer of 2022 in North Falmouth, MA. See the guest book at the website above for details.

View the online memorial for Samuel Otis RAYMOND