Raymond was born in Shreveport, one of five children to Jimmy and Beatrice Lohman McCrory. His father was a chef. Raymond enjoyed hunting and fishing and played several sports in high school working part-time at Clyde Gorum Nursery. After graduating from Shreve Christian High School in 1979, Raymond joined the U.S. Marine Corps and went on active duty that summer. After boot camp at Camp Pendleton and infantry training, he was sent to Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. There he guarded the fence line of the compound on shifts of eight to twelve hours, standing in a tower with M-16 and binoculars. Often, biting insects the Marines called "teeth" tormented him and other guards. After a year he was sent to Camp Geiger in Jacksonville, North Carolina, then shipped out for sea duty as part of Fox Company, 2^nd Battalion, 2^nd Marines. Raymond went aboard the USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2) an amphibious assault ship, for six months of duty on land and water around Europe. He also served on USS Manitowoc (LST-1180). Raymond returned to the States in 1981 and was sent back to Camp Geiger. Discharged in May of 1982, he returned to work for Clyde Gorum Nursery for eight years. On April 30, 1994 he married Kristi Ann Ware. (With her he would have three stepchildren and five step-grandchildren.) He joined R.W. Norton Art Gallery in 2008.