Leonard Keith Raines was born on August eight 1955 in Marion County, Florida: to Willard Raines orange picker, and his loving wife Helen Myers.
He was the youngest one of 6 children, easygoing, stubborn at times, often quiet, and always polite.
Oh, yes - he did know how to complain and curse - but he chose never to do it.
He discovered Miami (Bayside) when he was 18, coming from an orphanage on the West Coast of Florida.
Captain Buddy was fishing from Pier 5 at the Bayside. He liked Leonard's personality and gave him his first job. Soon -Leonard was living aboard, washing boats, and learning new skills.
Buddy became his mentor, friend, and fishing instructor - a career Leonard will embrace in years to come. Buddy also nicknamed him "Geronimo" (a runaway who arrived from nowhere) - but that name morphed into "Gemo" in the following years. Fishing with Buddy was one of the greatest parts of Gamo's life.
Bayside was also home for him - a place where he got new friends Ron, Gavin, Ronnie, Bobby, Chuck, Moreen, Nick, Bonnie, and many, many more.
His lightheartedness and remarkable ability to connect with people never failed to impress - always with a great smile and good nature!
Leonard was a voracious reader of action novels and anything war history-related. He had a passion for documentaries but was a huge fan of movies altogether.
He remembered cast, productions, and years of some of them - long after most of us had forgotten what it was all about!
But most of all - he was the best at talking "smack" in connection to football - his favorite sport! He had an impressive knowledge of games and a track record of players so when there was a football game, the outside world would stop to exist for him.
And then, there was photography...
Leonard first embraced photography on his yearly travels all around the US (Maine, Colorado, Wyoming, and numerous trips to Hawaii). Then, he wanted to go further, so he did. He left behind beautiful albums of pictures from Bali, Fiji, Indonesia, and other magnificent places around the world. Mostly, he told us stories about those faraway people and places - in his own respectful, kind, and polite way with no judgment and always with his big, captivating smile.
He moved to West Palm Beach in 2017, (close to other long-time friends) and that's where he spent the last few years of his life dealing with medical issues.
He also gained a new friend - Willie, who became a brother he never had.
Two of them find comfort whenever surrounded by conversation, laughter, and occasional meals together.
Leonard was always sweet, honest, cheerful, and fun to be around.
He will be missed by many whose life he once touched with his big smile.
On September 22, our dear Gemo shed his earthly pain and made his graceful exit in his sleep.

From that morning and forever - he flies free.

In loving memory,

Bonnie