Obituary of Raymond R. Berntsen

Raymond (Ray) Richard Berntsen of Manchester, Connecticut, passed away on Monday, December 4, 2023, surrounded by his family at Amberwoods Nursing Home in Farmington, Connecticut at the age of seventy-seven.

Ray was born in Hartford, CT on July 1, 1946, and was predeceased by his father, Harold Berntsen, and his mother, Maybelle Berntsen, as well as many aunts, uncles and cousins. He is survived by his wife, Diane Litton Berntsen of Manchester, CT, his son, Raymond William Berntsen, daughter-in-law, Jenna, and grandson, Finn of Jeffersonville, VT. His brother Harold William Berntsen, and sister-in-law Barbara of Swanzey, NH. His nephews Jeff Berntsen of Acworth, NH and Ken Berntsen of Sagle, ID and his nieces, Danielle Orbach and her fiancé Paul Sicard of TX, and Shannon Orbach and her husband Carlos Valladolid of TX, and his many beloved cousins and friends and of course his much loved and very pampered cat, Bella.

In 1965, Ray graduated from Howell Cheney Technical School in Manchester, CT and immediately joined the Navy, where he served for four years. The last two years he served were aboard the USS Vulcan in Norfolk, VA. While aboard the USS Vulcan, he traveled extensively and especially loved visiting the Rock of Gibraltar and Spain. After completing his tour of duty, he returned to Coventry, CT and began to build a very long and successful career. In the early years, Ray worked for Mal Tool and Die, Holochrome Industries, and New Britain Machine Hand Tools. All his work experiences led to him and his cousin, Eddie, starting their own business, Berntsen’s Generator Service, in Manchester, CT. After closing Berntsen’s Generator Service, Ray joined Huntington Power and Equipment, where he worked until retirement in 2006.

Ray was a lifelong fan of auto racing. He spent many seasons as a pit crew member in the Late Model and Modified divisions, competing at Waterford Speedbowl and Stafford Motor Speedway. Over the years, he contributed to several teams, sharing his vast knowledge of all things mechanical. Ray loved spending time with his son, and from 1992 to 2004 they joined the Tri-State Kart Club of Pomfret, CT where many close friendships were born. Ray was respected as a talented crew chief, and engine builder, in the kart racing community. His skill for building competitive race engines was recognized by others in the sport, and for years he produced kart engines under the name PDQ (Pretty Damn Quick). The years of kart racing are beautifully chronicled with photos and video taken by his wife, Diane - a foundational member of the team, and their biggest fan. Ray’s legacy in racing is marked by great ingenuity, and great integrity.

If you ask Ray’s wife, Diane, she will say he was her life partner, and he loved her with all his heart and would do anything for her, loved his home, his son and his son’s wife, and especially enjoyed playing harmonica for his grandson, Finn. Ray and Diane celebrated their thirty-fifth wedding anniversary on October 8th. He and Diane enjoyed their country lifestyle, and family, and happily moved from Coventry to Manchester when Ray’s health began to decline.

Although living in different states Ray and his brother, Hal stayed very close their entire lives and in recent years they enjoyed taking car rides together while listening to country music.

Ray was a family man all the way and loved nothing better than reliving happy family stories - especially his escapades with his father and brother, beloved cousins, aunts, uncles and friends. The stories rarely changed but never ceased to bring him comfort and solace, especially as his memory waned.

Ray was a good man and will be sadly missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him.

Visiting hours will be held at the John F. Tierney Funeral Home, 219 W. Center St., Manchester, on Monday, December 11, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. A funeral home service will immediately follow, with burial at Center Cemetery, Route 44, Coventry, CT. All are welcome to attend. In lieu of flowers, friends and family may send donations to the American Red Cross (ctredcross.org).