Raymond Auzias de Turenne

With immeasurable sadness, we announce the passing of Lieutenant Colonel Raymond Jean Auzias de Turenne, U.S. Army, Retired, our adored husband, father, grandfather, and brother. Raymond passed away at his home in Mililani on Sunday, June 21, 2026, at the age of 98. The mighty pillar of our family leaves his legacy of enduring love, resolute devotion, unwavering selflessness, and an enthusiasm for life's bright side and beauty, even in times of profound sorrow. Raymond led a life as incredible as fiction, and his tales, which we never outgrew, became the stuff of legend. He was our protector, our safe harbor, and our hero. 

Born Jean Nicholas Leon Raymond Auzias de Turenne II in Seattle on October 11, 1927, to families of French and Russian immigrants, Raymond learned early about honor, duty, and sacrifice.  His grandparents on both sides left aristocratic lives under extraordinary circumstances for the promise of freedom in America. Raymond was shaped by the values and culture they brought to this country, and he became the proud custodian of his family’s long heritage and genealogy. 

Raymond grew up in the Pacific Northwest, deeply connected to its natural splendors. An enthusiastic skier and competitive swimmer, he held Canadian records that stood for years. As a teenager, he often visited the Cascades and Olympic Mountains with his two best friends—and a thermos of martinis. He enjoyed opera so much that he would sometimes skip school, not for mischief, but to experience La Boheme live.  And he loved ballroom dancing.  His youth, however, was not without hardship. Even as a boy, Raymond felt it his duty to support his mother, grandmother, and three younger siblings after his father left, having returned from a war that would never leave his mind.  

In 1951, Raymond answered the call to service and joined the U.S. Army Signal Corps during the Korean War. Thus marked the start of his distinguished twenty-year career as a military intelligence officer - a profession he was born for.  Possessing a remarkable facility for languages, Raymond was fluent in French, Russian, and Vietnamese. Combined with his gregarious nature, sparkling wit, and debonair charm, he became a natural leader and a highly successful commander. Raymond served in Korea, England, Africa, and Vietnam, where he was stationed twice: once before, and again during, the active conflict. His work advised presidents, generals, and top national agency officials – and left him with memories of war he never spoke of.

In 1965, Raymond, a Major stationed at The Presidio in San Francisco, met the love of his life, Barbara Jean Copelan, a nurse from Honolulu, Hawaii. Instantly enchanted, they began their courtship along the sea in Monterey and waltzed down Lombardi Street in the wee hours, singing “Three O’clock in the Morning.” He proposed on New Year’s Eve, and they married on June 11, 1966, in a little white chapel on a hill at Fort Shafter on Oahu. Together, they welcomed three children before settling their young family in Hawaii, where Raymond retired from active duty. He worked in hotel management, spent 20 years with the U.S. Air Force at Hickam, focusing on morale and recreational programs at NCO clubs throughout the Pacific, and then, just for kicks, joined the first Walmart on the island.

Over the course of his life, Raymond held many roles, but the one he cherished most was that of husband and father.  To his family, he gave his all.  Dad’s love was deep and unconditional, and he taught us, through words and actions, what it means to live with honor, the responsibility of duty, and the dignity of quiet sacrifice.   Dad was a consummate gentleman, with a wry sense of humor, his remarks often landing with such delicate subtlety that they took time to sink in.  He chose laughter over tears, hope over despair, a handlebar mustache instead of a face without character, cats over a fur-free home, and, of course, beer over water. 

Raymond is survived by his sweetheart bride of sixty years, Barbara; his children, Suzanne and Christian; their spouses, James and Michelle; his grandchildren, Duncan, Gabriel, Nina, Chloe, and Leila; and his siblings, Charles and Yvonne. He is preceded in death by his sister, Marguerite, and his beloved daughter, Jacqueline, whose hand he now holds again in heaven.

A private viewing will be held at Mililani Memorial Park and Mortuary, followed by a Roman Catholic Funeral Mass in Blowing Rock, NC, and a private burial, where Raymond will be laid to rest alongside his daughter.  In lieu of flowers, please consider donations in Raymond’s honor to Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Catholic Bishop of Northern Alaska.

If he were here, our Raymond would soothe our broken hearts with the words he learned from his grandfather:

“S’il te plaît, ne pleure pas. Je t’aimerai au-delà de la vie. Car l’amour est dans l’âme, et l’âme ne meurt jamais.”

“Please, do not cry. I will love you beyond life. For love is in the soul, and the soul never dies.”

We will miss you forever, Dad. Our Eagle has landed.

Online condolences may be shared at www.austinandbarnesfuneralhome.com

Austin & Barnes Funeral Home and Crematory is serving the Auzias de Turenne family.

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