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HANCOCK – Charles J. “Chuck” Rayner, 49, died unexpectedly Sunday, July 31, 2016, at his home in Hancock. Chuck was born Oct. 6, 1966, in Philadelphia, son of the late Charles “Chuck” Rayner and Dolores A. Buniak.
Chuck was a caring person who shared a special relationship with his mother, who passed away just four years ago. Chuck was a great brother, friend, teacher, student, athlete, son, learner and person to all who knew him. He had many interests, hobbies, desires and passions, allowing him to have some good times in his life.
One of his greatest interests and passions was reading and learning. Chuck earned two different bachelor’s degrees from the University of Maine system, a master’s degree in psychology from Goddard College in Vermont, and was currently working on his Ph.D. in educational psychology from Walden University in Minnesota, and was in the top 10 percent of students in the program. He was working on completing his dissertation, and finalizing his doctorate’s degree within the next year or so. He has taught a variety of psychology courses at the postsecondary level, both on campus and online. Recently, he was an online adjunct instructor (professor), teaching psychology courses for Troy University in Alabama. He was really looking forward to teaching a course this fall that he designed and created himself. Chuck also worked for the Ambassador Program/Admissions at Goddard College, provided some peer mentoring and career educational counseling, worked as a substitute teacher, tutored and helped with an after-school program. He was devoted to learning and had many other aspirations and goals pertaining to the field of psychology, including starting a foundation with some other educators and professionals. Chuck was liked by many of his students and other colleagues who understood and respected his interest in learning.
In addition to his achievements in education, Chuck also obtained many different certificates along the way. For example, at one point in his life, he was certified and refereed soccer games at the high school level. He was trained in karate. However, his greatest passion was football. Chuck played football as a child growing up in Philadelphia and southern New Jersey, and fell in love with it. It was during that time, when his mother took he and his brother Teddy, to see the Philadelphia Eagles at training camp. He always enjoyed watching football, and was currently working on becoming certified to officiate football games. Simply put, he loved the game of football and had a knack for understanding it well. He had a desire to coach football at some point in his life.
At one point in time, Chuck was part of the Hancock County Planning Commission. It was here when he became acquainted with grant writing, wrote a grant, and was approved. With his educational experience and effective communication skills, he was an asset to any group he was associated with. It also helped his cause that he was a likeable person with lots of knowledge. Many would agree that he was an interesting person to talk with. Despite his battle with alcohol and addictions, he was able to accomplish so much in his lifetime.
Chuck was also good at gardening and landscaping. He took an interest in gardening and shared many of his strategies with others. He inspired his brother Dan to learn how to grow a vegetable garden. For a span of about 12 years, Chuck also took the responsibility of landscaping the properties of 30 or more residents in the town of Sorrento. He and his brother Dan took pride in providing quality work to those people. Some other jobs and experiences Chuck had through the years were, raking blueberries, digging bloodworms, working in restaurants, delivering newspapers, working in a blueberry factory and making Christmas wreaths, to name a few. He enjoyed getting brush for his mother so she could make wreaths, and he loved being around her during the holidays. It made him so happy to know that she was happy. They shared this wreath making experience for over 20 years. He also had a job cleaning and taking care of several Nynex (former phone company) buildings.
Some of Chuck’s hobbies were collecting baseball cards, comic books, sports memorabilia, and various other items. He loved to order and read a variety of magazines. He also enjoyed watching sports, especially the Philadelphia Flyers. Two of his favorite athletes were Carl Yastrzemski (Yaz), and Julius “Dr. J.” Erving. He liked watching Maine hockey and college football, and enjoyed listening to sports on the radio. Chuck took pleasure in listening to music, particularly the band Phish. A road trip in his 1970 Toyota Chinook to see the band was one of his fondest memories. He even enjoyed local history and learning of the areas he lived. As mentioned, he was a person with lots of interests and pursued many things in life.
Of the legacies Chuck will leave behind are his unselfishness, honesty, and desire to make others happy. Everyone that was associated with him knows how generous he was. He would give you the shirt off his back, and always thought of other people – especially family. In addition, Chuck was personable and had a great personality. Furthermore, he enjoyed laughing and having fun.
A scholarship in his name will be established. It will focus on local athletes who maintain a certain grade level, aspire to play football, and promise to stay drug-free. There will be further information to follow.
Chuck was predeceased by his mother Dolores, father Chuck, and twin brother Teddy. He is survived by his daughter Mersedes of Hancock, sister Kim Scott and her husband, Jim Scott, and their children Shelby, Bryce, and Joshua, all of Hancock; his brother Bill and his girlfriend Lori of Hancock, and their two children, daughter Brooke of Stueben, and son Tristan of Orono; brother Dan and fiancee Steffanie, his daughter Mackenzie, and her son Yanni, all of Hancock. In addition, he is survived by other relatives, most of whom reside in New Jersey. He will be missed by many others who knew him.
A graveside memorial service and arrangements will be held for family and friends at a later date. Condolences may be sent to the family at dangrayner@yahoo.com.
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