Raymond Emerson II, of Concord, died September 8th in a motorcycle accident in Carlisle. He was the husband of Jennifer Pennoyer Emerson. He was born November 12, 1951, in Concord, the son of David and Mary Emerson, and was educated in the Concord schools, at Colorado State University, and by a lifetime exploration of all aspects of life - the seen and the unseen. He married Jennifer Pennoyer in 1989, and they lived in Telluride, Colorado, for a year before making their home in Concord. A talented designer and builder, he was the lead carpenter or manager for projects including schools and apartment complexes in Colorado, set design and fabrication for film studios in California, and restoration of historic properties in Concord and on Cape Cod. In the early 1980s, he designed and built an off-the-grid house in Colorado, the first adobe house in Albert County. In 1990 he and his cousin Tim Emerson responded to Hurricane Hugo's destruction on the island of St. Croix and helped rebuild a school there. For two decades, he was the principal conservator of the Ralph Waldo Emerson House in Concord, the museum home of his great-great grandfather. In addition to renewing the house with his restoration skills, he was an inspired raconteur who brought its history to life for anyone lucky enough to get a personal after-hours tour. He could coax almost any machine to life, divining ingenious solutions to electrical and mechanical problems. He followed his own belief: "If it was made by man, it can be fixed by man." He was at home in the mountains and on the plains, in the air and at sea. He was a natural athlete who loved speed and style in skiing and motorcycling. With his wife and friends, he competed often in the Canadian Ski Marathon. He was a sailor and scuba diver, and flew hang-gliders and airplanes. He recognized the spirit in all living things, and was a natural animal-talker who protected all wild critters, especially the smallest ones. To children, he was the Pied Piper and Santa Claus. Covert generosity and helpfulness were his signature. In recent years, with his wife, he made impromptu forays to see far-flung friends in Hawaii, Cape Breton Island, and Cape Town, South Africa. Raymond leaves his wife, Jennifer, of Concord; sisters Margaret (Bay) Bancroft and her husband Nick of Medfield, Ellen Emerson and her husband Bruce Kohler of Concord, Lauran Emerson and her husband Hugh Dundee of Stockett, MT, and Amelia Emerson of Piermont, NH and her wife Suzanne Stofflet; brothers Alexander Emerson of Belfast, ME, and Daniel Emerson of Groton and his partner Geneva Cooper; and sister-in-law Suzanne Emerson of Las Vegas, NV. He also leaves many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. The family will hold a private service. Gifts in Raymond's memory may be made to the Ralph Waldo Emerson Memorial Association, c/o JM Forbes & Co., 121 Mt. Vernon St, Boston, MA 02108. Arrangements are under the care of Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Concord.