Raymond A. Leavitt Jr.

1947 - 2009

NEW GLOUCESTER — Raymond "Bud" Arthur Leavitt Jr, 62, died Aug. 14, as the result of an accident near his home.

Born in Gray on March 2, 1947, he was the son of Phyllis June Murray and Raymond Arthur Leavitt Sr. of Gray. Mr. Leavitt graduated from Gray-New Gloucester High School in 1965.

He married Cynthia Joy on Oct. 7, 1966, in Lewiston.

Bud enjoyed working in the outdoors as a logger for 46 years.

He started his racing career at Beech Ridge Speedway in the early 1970s and then raced at Oxford Plains Speedway for more than 30 years. While racing at Oxford, he had 15 career wins in the Charger Division and eight career wins in the Late Model Division. Two of his proudest moments came in 1994 when he won the Charger Division Championship and also when the other race drivers voted to award him the 1994 Sportsmanship Award. He also enjoyed golfing and watching his two grandsons play baseball and soccer.

Mr. Leavitt was predeceased by his mother and father, Phyllis June Murray and Raymond Arthur Leavitt Sr., and stepfather, James Murray.

He is survived by his wife, Cynthia Joy Leavitt; two daughters, Brenda Paradis and husband, Daniel, and Susan Laskey and husband, Mark; two sisters, Patricia Kimball and husband, Charles, and Joan Babb and husband, George; and two grandchildren, Zachary Laskey and Christopher Paradis.

Raymond "Bud" A. Leavitt Jr.