Dallas N. Folk

WAYNE – Dallas N. Folk, 86, died on March 5, 2024, at his home in Wayne surrounded by his family. He was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, the son of Carl and Sara (Gentzel) Folk.

He attended local schools and was a graduate of Rutgers University where he majored in agricultural engineering. He served in the United States Army and was honorably discharged with the rank of captain.

Dallas worked all his life in the construction industry in New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Maine. He was president of H.P. Cummings, a commercial and institutional construction company. He spent decades guiding construction on campuses such as Bowdoin and Colby Colleges as well as dozens of hospitals around the state including the Harold Alfond Center for Cancer Care and Maine General Medical Center in Augusta.

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Pamela "Pam" Fleet Murray

Pamela ("Pam") Fleet Murray of Camp Hill, PA died peacefully on Friday, February 23, 2024 surrounded by family.  She is survived by children Deborah and Pete (Becky), three grandsons, brothers John and Alan, and many nieces and nephews.  She was predeceased by her husband, Bert Murray.

Pam was born in Connecticut on Friday the 13th of December 1943.  She grew up in Cromwell, CT while spending summers with her family at Echo Lake in Maine.    Her love for Echo Lake continued all of her life, and she enjoyed waterskiing with her brothers, swimming with her children, or playing board games with her grandkids.  She loved playing cards with any and all of them.  

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Priscilla H. Stred

AUGUSTA – Priscilla H. Stred, 90, passed away on Sept. 26, 2023, in Augusta. She was born in Quincy, Mass. to Herbert W. and Ermie (Kelley) Hatch.

Priscilla was a graduate of Bates College, where she met her husband, Frank O. Stred. They lived in several towns in Central Maine, then retired to Leesburg, Fla. Following Frank’s death, Priscilla returned to the Augusta area.

She was an avid gardener, and also enjoyed knitting, counted cross-stitch, and watching the Red Sox. Priscilla was proud to have been a founding member of the Winthrop Area Handbell Ringers 50 years ago, retiring from handbell ringing this past Spring.

Priscilla is survived by her daughters, Susan of Syracuse, N.Y., Kristin of Seattle, Wash., granddaughter Katie Davis, also of Seattle; brother Richard Hatch of Harrisonburg, Va.; and a few nieces and nephews.

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Milt Wright

READFIELD- Milton, "Milt", Wright of Readfield passed away on July 17, 2023, at the age of 84. He was born in Orrington, ME, the eldest and only son of Henry Roger Wright and Ursule Madeline Spruce Wright.

He graduated from Brewer High School and Husson College. He served in the US Army in Korea. Upon his return from overseas, he taught high school in Valley Stream, NY and Danforth, ME. After leaving the classroom, he worked for the Maine Teachers Association in many capacities and retired as the Executive Director.

Milt was very involved with outdoor activities. He hiked Mount Katahdin for 58 consecutive years and enjoyed introducing others to hiking in beautiful Baxter State Park. He was a past-president of the Maine Appalachian Trail Club, an overseer of the trail and helped maintain sections of it. He was also instrumental and very proud of his work in setting up the hiking trail system in Readfield. It was not unusual to see him with a chainsaw clearing out blow downs on the trails or with a can of paint to refresh blazes. In addition, he loved cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, canoeing, traveling and reading.

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Ralph Record

WAYNE – Ralph Stuart Record, 78, passed away Wednesday, June 28, 2023 at MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta. Ralph endured the challenges of Multiple Myeloma with strength and determination. In his own words, he lived “an ordinary life filled with extraordinary moments, loves, comforts and griefs”.

Ralph was born at home on Aug. 3, 1944, in Livermore Falls, the youngest child and third son of Stuart H. Record and Althea Harmon (Record) Fournier. He and his brothers made mischief and memories on their family farm, living with scarcity and softening that reality through humor and music.

He graduated from Livermore Falls High School, and in 1966 from Colby College with a B.A. in English, where he won first place in a speech writing contest with a speech about space aliens.

Ralph moved to Boston, Mass. and, after turning down a dream sports writing job at the Boston Herald, began his successful career in Information Technology – which he thought would prove better at paying bills. While his career was impressive—one highlight was leading the Y2K transition for Maine’s power grid—it was how he spent the rest of his time that was most important to Ralph.

In Boston he met his future wife, Kathy. After she accepted his third proposal, they married in 1970, and relocated to Maine. They built their home and community in Readfield and lived there for 32 years – filling that house with friends and family at every opportunity.

A childhood spent in the fields, around the bugs and birds, made Ralph a lover of the natural world. He was knowledgeable about much of Maine’s native plants, animals and insects. He kept extensive flower beds, that were seamlessly integrated into the natural landscapes of his properties. He was a lifelong casual fisherman, teaching his children to fish in the early morning on Moose Hill Pond, fishing with friends at his favorite spots around Maine, and peacefully fishing off the dock or from his johnboat at home on Wilson Pond.

Ralph enjoyed watching his children play sports in their youth and volunteered coaching peewee basketball and kept extensive statistics for the softball team. Ralph was known to spend some time on the golf course, and always looked forward to an annual trip to Cape Cod with friends for the ‘Cape Classic’, a significant event if only in their own minds. He spent years crafting the Chase Road Fens, an 18 hole whiffle ball golf course on the Readfield property that was truly a work of art and community builder.

While Ralph was not typically an enthusiastic traveler, he mustered some great distances to see his children – going to Ireland, Australia, and Hawaii – and, more suitable to him, expanded his view of the world by hosting foreign exchange students and teachers over the years. He had an open and inquisitive mind; he enjoyed learning new things and adjusting his perspectives given new information. Ralph was a gifted storyteller, and his friends and family were often the beneficiaries of his recounting a memory – always told with humor and reflection. Ralph had a quick wit and sharp sense of humor, if you could keep up.

After Ralph retired, a new family home was built in Wayne, which Kathy and Ralph designed together, for the very purpose of gathering and hosting friends and family. During his retirement, Ralph served on the Board of the Cary Memorial Library and as a co-steward for the Kennebec Land Trust’s Gott Pasture Preserve. Ralph enjoyed gardening and kept a vegetable patch, which he enlisted his grandchildren to help plant in the spring and harvest in the summer and fall. His grandchildren brought him great joy, and entertainment.

After the passing of his wife, Ralph shared his life with partner Jane Giglio who took on the role of “Mimi Jane” to the young grandchildren. Ralph and Jane enjoyed traveling to St. Simons Island, Ga. to get a break from winter, took a memorable trip to Alaska, and both shared a love of gardening and being with friends.

Ralph is survived by his daughter, Emily and husband Carroll Lane, of West Hartford, Conn. and their two children, Eliza and Susanna; his son, Nicholas Record and wife Christine Selman of Boothbay, and their two children, Serafina and Charles; his daughter, Bethany Record and husband Westley Corbin, of Portland, and their three children, Emmett, Cora and Iris; his partner, Jane Giglio of Wayne; his brothers David Record of Clinton and Duane Record of Plattsburg, N.Y., his sister-in-law Cheryl Colangelo and husband Ray Lillis of Niantic, Conn.; six nieces and nephews; his ‘pseudo’ daughter, Sarah and husband Gordon Holman of Portland, and their daughter Merritt.

He was predeceased by his parents; his wife, Kathleen; sister-in-law, Sue Osgood Record, and sister-in-law, Sharon Record.

The family would like to thank Dr. Nadeem at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, as well as the team at the Alfond Center for Cancer Care in Augusta.

Visiting hours will be held at Roberts Funeral Home, 62 Bowdoin St., Winthrop, on Friday, July 28, from 5 to 7 p.m. A celebration of life will be held at Willows Awake, 10 Leeds Junction Rd., Leeds, at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 29, with refreshments immediately following. Burial will be held privately for the family.

Arrangements are in the care of Roberts Funeral Home, 62 Bowdoin St., Winthrop, where memories, condolences and photos may be shared with the family at http://www.khrfuneralhomes.com.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be

made to

Kennebec Land Trust https://www.tklt.org/ or

Cary Memorial Library in Wayne: https://www.cary-memorial.lib.me.us/

https://www.sunjournal.com/2023/07/23/obituaryralph-stuart-record-2/#:~:text=WAYNE%20%E2%80%93%20Ralph%20Stuart%20Record%2C%2078,loves%2C%20comforts%20and%20griefs%E2%80%9D.

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David Beam Osborne

Brunswick, David Beam Osborne 80, died July 7, 2022 in Brunswick. He was born May 15, 1942 in New York City to James S. and Elizabeth (Beam) Osborne. David was predeceased by his wife Deborah (McKnown) Osborne in 2003 and by his brother John S. Osborne. David was a graduate of the Hotchkiss School in Connecticut and later Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. He spent his career at the Eaglebrook School in Deerfield, Massachusetts as a Director of Secondary School Placement and a teacher of Greek and Roman history.

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Josephine "Jo" Wagner

MANCHESTER-Josephine E. Wagner, 90, passed away peacefully Tuesday, August 2, 2022, at the Androscoggin Hospice House in Auburn. She was born on November 13, 1931, in South Orange, N.J. the daughter of Wilfred E. Eaton and Josephine (Armstrong) Eaton. She graduated from Westover School and Middlebury College.

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Elizabeth Jones Crandall

Elizabeth Jones Crandall, MD of Maplewood, New Jersey and Shelter Island Heights, New York, died on January 31, 2022 of complications of COVID 19. She was 98 years old.
A lifelong Maplewoodian, she was born at Orange Memorial Hospital on September 7, 1923 the daughter of Judge Benjamin Franklin Jones and Mabel Louise Stevens. She attended Tuscan School, Maplewood Junior High and graduated from Columbia High School where she was active in athletics and scouting. From her parents she learned the importance of community involvement and volunteering.
While a freshman at Wellesley College, the bombs dropped on Pearl Harbor. The girls doubled up in the dormitories as the campus was transformed into a training facility for officers shipping out to Europe and the Pacific. Her older brother, Ben, came to visit her before sailing for Europe and impressed upon her that she would be responsible for her mother and elderly aunts if anything happened to him.
Instead of pursuing a career in science, she decided to go to medical school. After graduating from Wellesley she entered Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons as one of 17 women in her class. At P&S she met a returning war veteran in the class behind her, who would become her partner for almost 70 years, Charles Eben Crandall. He borrowed her notes to study. They married at the South Orange
Methodist Church on July 26, 1947. Slightly over one year later, the arrival of their first child required that Elizabeth take a year off. The couple graduated together in the class of 1950. They completed internships at Bellevue Hospital in New York.
Elizabeth returned to Orange Memorial for residency in pediatrics and obstetrics and to Maplewood and the home she grew up in to raise her family.
After completing her training, she worked as a physician for the New Jersey Bell Telephone Company for 10 years. She left industry and went to work for the next 20 years for South Orange- Maplewood School District and as a school physician and eventually as chief for 7 years. She served the same function for Our Lady of Sorrows for 30 years. During this time she also worked for the South Orange Keep Well Clinic. In the mid 1970’s Elizabeth moved into insurance medicine serving for 10 years as Medical Director to the Prudential Insurance Company, the first woman to do so. After leaving Prudential, she worked as Chief Medical Director for American International Group for 6 years and served as consultant to United States Life, Royal Life, Essex Life, Golden Life and American Centurian. After retiring from AIG, she joined the medical staff at Bankers Trust, which functioned as an urgent care for downtown New York and Wall Street.
Elizabeth was committed to her community. She was Maplewood’s representative to the board of Planned Parenthood in the 1950’s and 1960’s where she was instrumental in reorganizing clinical services. She and her husband joined with other physicians to vaccinate the community against polio when the Salk vaccine became available. She joined the Maplewood Recreation Advisory Committee in 1960 and served as chair from 1980-90 during the time the committee was spearheading the effort to build a community pool. Once the pool was a reality, she served 25 years on the Pool Advisory Committee. In the 1970’s when concern about
drug abuse among young people began to surface, Elizabeth became a founding member of the Drug Abuse Committee after which she served on the Family Services and Child Guidance Committee to be sure that children received services from qualified providers.
Her most passionate commitment was the South Mountain YMCA. She also served as a long-term member of the board of the Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges. In 1983 after returning from a trip to California to help care for her first grand child when her daughter went back to work, it occurred to her that the next generation of two- working parent families were going to need quality child care. She envisioned the YMCA as this resource for her community. Elizabeth threw herself into fund raising to make this a reality.
Liz was a lifelong volunteer with the Girl Scouts, taking her mariner troop on several sailing expeditions. She loved the Eagle Island Camp in Saranac Lake, New York and helped the fund raising effort to keep the camp from being sold for development. She was also active with the Boy Scouts, serving as a health inspector for Essex County and Northern New Jersey Boy Scout Council and providing free physical screening for children who wanted to participate in scouting activities. She also helped the Boy Scout save Camp Glen Gray from development.
Elizabeth was the first woman to serve as the President of the Board of Trustees of the South Orange (now South Orange- Vailsburg) United Methodist Church. She was a member of the Board of Trustees of Winchester Gardens where she was long time chair of the Resident Quality of Life Committee.
She received the Distinguished Service Award from the Maplewood Chamber of Commerce in May 1989, the Maple Leaf Award from the Maplewood Civic Association in April 2010 and she was inducted into the Columbia High School Athletic Hall of Fame in May 2010 as recipient of the Peter Cross Award (along with her husband).
At her summer home, she was involved in the sailing program at the Shelter Island Yacht Club. She was a trustee of the Union Chapel in the Heights.
In 2017, Elizabeth moved into assisted living at Lantern Hill in New Providence where she became involved in resident governance.
Elizabeth was pre-deceased by her husband, Charles Eben Crandall and two sons, David Jones Crandall and Richard Squire Crandall. She is survived by a daughter, Marilyn Crandall Jones, MD of San Diego, the Honorable Charles Steven Crandall of San Luis Obispo, a granddaughter and great- granddaughter of Washington, DC Abigail Elizabeth Jones and Florence Elizabeth Ferullo, a grandson, Warren Stevens Crandall of Los Angeles, and granddaughter, Joanne Elizabeth Crandall of San Francisco. Donations in lieu of flowers may be sent to
1) Peconic Land Trust (Long Island)(www.peconiclandtrust.org)
2) Kennebec Land Trust (Maine) (https://www.tklt.org)
3) Friends of the Great Swamp (New Jersey)
(https://friendsofgreatswamp.org/site/
A celebration of her life is planned for later in the fall when it hopefully will be safer
to gather.

https://essexnewsdaily.com/obituaries/elizabeth-jones-crandall

Obituary: Lincoln Filene Ladd

WAYNE – Lincoln Filene Ladd, 95, died peacefully after a brief illness on Dec. 2, 2021, at Androscoggin Hospice House.

Lincoln was born in Brooklyn, New York, to loving parents George E. Ladd Jr., and Helen Filene Ladd. He was one of three sons, including his older brother, George E. Ladd III and younger brother, Robert M. Ladd.

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Obituary: Craig A. Thulen

AUGUSTA – Craig A. Thulen, 76, passed away at his home on May 17, 2021. He was born in Gardiner, Dec. 18, 1944 the son of Ernest and Phyllis Harriman Thulen.

He had great memories of growing up on Northern Ave. in Farmingdale. The whole street was filled with cousins and friends. His cousins, the Gibersons next door, his cousins the Linton boys right down the street, his best friend Rod Myrick next door and the whole rest of the “Northern Ave. crew”. What stories they would tell when they all got together!!

He met his wife, Linda Perkins when they attended Baptist Youth Group in high school and started dating her when she was 16 and began working at his Dad’s restaurant, Ernie’s Drive In. They were married at Winter St. Baptist Church on Jan. 28, 1967. They worked at the Drive in until 1974 when Craig decided he wanted to be able to travel with Linda. They especially liked the mountains and National Parks. They went to the Grand Canyon, Rocky Mt. National Park, Smokey Mt. National Park, Mesa Verdi and others. They camped several years and in 1981 they bought their camp on Three Mile Pond.

Craig loved large family gatherings. He liked to cook Ernie’s burgers and onion rings. Family and friends were very important to him.

He worked at Brewers Dairy and CMP Security but then decided to work full time with Linda doing Thulens Daycare. It started with Brad and Julie and Kelly and Tony and was open for 40 years. What fun he had with the kids. He was very creative and always had a special project going. Having no children of their own, the day care kids were “his kids”. How he loved it when they came back years later to visit and Halloween was always one big reunion! He always put up great pumpkin people displays. All the kids were so special and it would be impossible to name them all. Special thanks to all who came to see him in the last days, he loved you all.

He was an avid Gardiner Tiger football fan and followed Gardiner and Halldale in basketball. He graduated from Halldale in 1965. He loved the Red Sox, Celtics and Patriots. Larry Bird was his favorite. His biggest passion was bass fishing. He loved to fly down the lake in his bass boats. He had special fishing buddies over the years. Jay, Bobby and Eric; cousins Jeff Linton and Kerry Cookson Jr; nephews Jason and Jordan Greenleaf; Mark and Chad Greenleaf and many hours fishing with Ryan and Tyler Hughes. And you ALWAYS had to wear your life jacket!!

He was predeceased by his parents; special cousins Gary Cole, Ricky Goodwin and Peter Giberson; and sister-in-law Elaine Greenleaf.

He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Linda; sister Carole Murphy (Peter), sisters-in-law Kathy Perkins (Guy Bates), Anna Garrity and Hilda Michaud, brother-in-law Danny Greenleaf; aunt Peggy Goodwin (Richard); nephews Mark and Jason Greenleaf, nieces Kim Stinson, Katie Allen, Bethany Greenleaf Perez, all so special; and many cousins, great nieces and nephews. Special thanks to Greg and Elaine Thulen and Vicky Niles.

Funeral service to be held Saturday, June 5 at 11 a.m. at Penney Memorial Baptist Church in Augusta, followed by a gathering of family and friends at their home on 12 N. Pearl St.

Arrangements are under the care of Staples Funeral Home, 53 Brunswick Ave., Gardiner, where condolences, memories and photos may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the funeral home website familyfirstfuneralhomes.com

In lieu of flowers,

donations in Craig’s memory may be made to:

Kennebec Land Trust or:

George Mitchell Scholarship Fund

https://www.centralmaine.com/2021/05/27/obituarycraig-a-thulen/

Obituary: George A. Smith

MOUNT VERNON – George A. Smith, of Mount Vernon, died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) on Feb. 12, 2021. George was born on Oct. 15, 1948 to Ezra and Ada Smith of Winthrop. He had many fond memories of growing up in Winthrop and for the last 42 years lived in his beloved community of Mount Vernon.

George is survived by his incredibly devoted wife of 41 years, Linda (Hillier); daughter and son-in-law, Rebekah Smith and Patrick Mellor of Union, son and daughter-in-law, Josh and Kelly Smith of Bridgewater, Mass., and daughter and partner, Hilary Smith and Flavio Sanchez of Washington, D.C. He is also survived by brother and sister-in-law, Gordon and Janet Smith of East Winthrop and sister, Edie Smith of Glenburn.

George was happiest in his role of “Grampy” – whether that meant cheering at soccer games or hanging up art work. George was the proud grandfather of Addison, Vishal, Ada, and Esme as well as uncle to Devon, Erica, Nate, and Ezra. George was the author of four books and innumerable newspaper columns. He wrote about hunting, fishing, current events, and food and travel. George served as the Executive Director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine for 18 years, relentless in his advocacy for the Maine outdoors. His passion for politics was well-known, and over the decades he forged many personal and lasting relationships across the political spectrum. George and Linda loved to travel, especially in Maine. Favorite spots included their cabin at Baxter State Park and West Quoddy Head Lighthouse in Lubec, and they also enjoyed several trips to Italy. George was an insatiable reader – Maine authors were his favorite, of course. He loved singing in the choir at Readfield United Methodist Church, bird watching, and craft beer.

The family would like to give special thanks to the amazing staff at the ALS Association Northern New England Chapter and Beacon Hospice for their outstanding care and support. At this time, the family will hold a private gathering. A public celebration of George’s life may be held post-COVID. Arrangements are in the care of Roberts Funeral Home, 62 Bowdoin Street, Winthrop. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the funeral home website at http://www.familfirstfuneralhomes.com. Friends are asked to honor George by spending time outdoors or supporting the important conservation efforts of The Kennebec Land Trust, P.O. Box 261, Winthrop, ME 04364.

Obituary: Afton “Bud” Berry Gove

WATERVILLE – Afton “Bud” Berry Gove, 92, formerly of Winthrop and one of the old boys from Monmouth Academy, has moved on. Bud left us on Christmas night after a period of declining health.

He was born on Sept.8, 1928, in Monmouth to George Leon and Grace Berry Gove. The attending physician at his birth was Dr. Russell of Leeds. Bud survived the six-man football team at the Academy, working on the Town road crew, running the territory with his chum Arna Blaisdell and traveling to work at Limestone Air Base on his Harley ’74. He was a family man who married Pauline Richardson of North Monmouth on July 2, 1949. They raised three children at the place on Hoyt Brook on the Old Lewiston Road in Winthrop.

Bud served a 39-year hitch with Central Maine Power Company, Stations Department, retiring in 1990. When he was a younger man, he had worked at the textile mill in North Monmouth. Weekends in the fall were spent picking apples with his father-in-law Jesse Richardson on the farm in North Monmouth. He and Pauline took many trips in their retirement, going to Michigan, Nashville, Florida, Charleston, S.C. and the Jack Daniels Distillery, twice.

He was predeceased by his wife Pauline; and two daughters, Audrey Gove and Jerilyn Heath. He is survived by a son Alan Gove and his wife Nancy; grandchildren Lindsay Heath Beesley and her family, Jesse Gove and family, Meghan Gove and family, Nicholas Gove and family, Brett LaPlante and wife Tracy, and Ryal Leon Gove. His memory will live on with Grace Gove at the family camp on Parker Pond.

A graveside service will be held in the spring at Glenside Cemetery in Winthrop. Arrangements are in the care of Roberts Funeral Home, 62 Bowdoin St., Winthrop where condolences to the family may be shared on the obituary page of the website at http://www.familyfirstfuneralhomes.com Those wishing, may make memorial contributions to Kennebec Land Trust P.O. Box 261Winthrop, ME 04364in memory of Afton and Pauline Gove

Obituary: Wesley Merle Hodgkins

FAYETTE: Wesley Merle Hodgkins, Jr., 72, passed away peacefully in the arms of family, on the morning of the autumn equinox, 22 September 2020, after a courageous struggle with cancer.

Wes led an active life, in many circles, but his heart and home were always in Fayette.

A Master Maine Guide, Wes led wilderness canoe trips for several years in the Allagash, and hunting trips in the Oquossoc area before that. Being a guide and running a guiding service was a lifelong dream he felt fortunate to achieve. In recent years, Wes pursued his love for the outdoors in the usual ways — canoeing, fishing, hiking, spending time at camp — and taking his granddaughter on her first hunt on the family land last year.

He was a contra-dancer and a musician, involved with the traditional music revival in the 1970s, where he played music at Starling Hall Grange and welcomed newcomers to the scene. In recent years, Wes continued to play tunes on mandolin, guitar, and piano at home, and to attend area contradances, where he met people with a twinkle in his eye and a warm smile, making newcomers and dance regulars always feel welcome. He created space for people to be themselves.

For many years, Wes practiced tai chi and qigong, ancient arts that combine movement and meditation, attending in recent years advanced training sessions in places as far away as Ibiza, Spain; San Francisco; Washington, DC; and Chicago — and practicing locally at his home and occasionally with a small group in Vienna, Maine, and with his first teacher’s class in Augusta.

Wes was a member and past master of the Starling Hall Grange, a current member of Mill Stream Grange, and a 7th degree member of the Maine State Grange. He loved the Grange as a center of rural community and was glad in recent years to join others at the Mill Stream Grange in Vienna for social occasions. In earlier times, he also served his community for many years as an assistant fire chief in nearby Livermore Falls. He attended University of Maine, majoring in electrical engineering, and he ran a number of businesses, including the popular Tire Barn in Livermore Falls.

Wes loved his home in rural Fayette, where he lived nearly his entire life. He adored the land he explored as a boy even more dearly in his later years. After retiring from guiding, he opened an automotive repair shop at home. His shop saw a steady stream of regular customers, friends, and neighbors, whom he was always glad to help, feeling so lucky to be spending his life doing what he loved, helping others, on the land where he was raised.

He enjoyed gardening and putting up food, going to the frog pond in spring for early sounds of peepers, hearing owls call, and telling stories about his many escapades. Long may those stories and memories live on.

He leaves behind his three children: daughter Heather (Hodgkins) Patterson and her husband Dan of Farmington; son Ryan Hodgkins of Florida; and daughter Rowan (Abby) Labaugh of Augusta; sister Carol (Hodgkins) Millay of Chesterville; two granddaughters, Molly and Audrey; and life companion of several years, Misty Beck. Many cousins, nephews, nieces, and innumerable friends in the local community and the extended traditional music and dance community, wilderness guides, tai chi practitioners, and customers of his shop will all miss his steady, helpful presence.

As Wes wished, there will be no funeral. A memorial celebration will be held at a future date.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift in Wes’s name to one of the causes he supported: Down East Friends of the Folk Arts (deffa.org/support-deffa), Kennebec Land Trust (www.tklt.org), or the Friends of Starling Hall (fayettemaine.org/friends-of-starling-hall.html).

Obituary: Diana Brooks

MONMOUTH – Diana Brooks, beloved by her family and deeply mourned, died of natural causes on July 11, 2020 at the age of 107 at her home in Monmouth. As the oldest person in Monmouth, she had been the holder of its Boston Post cane since 2014. She attributed her longevity to a piece of chocolate at lunch and daily afternoon tea.

Born in Grays, Essex, England in 1913, Mrs. Brooks was the daughter of John Aslett and Janet Sarah Fletcher. She attended the Convent School in Grays and subsequently went to boarding school in London at La Sainte Union.

She enjoyed telling stories of her growing-up years. Her first memory was of her father waking her and taking her to a window to witness a German zeppelin going down in flames during World War I. She vividly remembered being rushed to the hospital at the age of 7 in a horse-drawn ambulance after contracting diphtheria. Diana was an avid golfer as a young woman and once played 54 holes in one day. She enjoyed travel with her two close friends, Peggy Wall and Joy Riley, known by all as “the Three Graces.”

After completing a business course, she went to work for Dupont Chemical Company in London. Dupont pulled out of London at the beginning of World War II and Diana transferred to Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) where she met her husband, Malcolm Brooks. During the war she took a watch every week on the roof of ICI’s London office building, manning a fire hose and looking out for incendiary bombs. In 1947 Diana followed her husband Mal to the United States where he had taken a job with ICI in New York. The Brooks family lived in Wilton, Conn.

Over the years, she crossed the Atlantic 25 times, all but a few by boat. She and Mal Brooks became U.S. citizens in 1991. In 2000, following her husband’s death in 1993, Diana and her son, Johnny moved to Maine to be near her daughter, Judy.

Diana was exceptionally adept in the kitchen, and her English specialties, such as roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, veal and ham pie, Victoria sponge cake and Christmas cake, were culinary hits at family occasions. She was also a talented knitter and needleworker who knitted Christmas stockings for all her family and made beautiful needlepoint pillows that grace her living room. She read widely, enjoyed reading aloud to her son, Johnny, and was a master at crossword puzzles. She and her husband Mal were avid gardeners. A highlight for many years for the whole extended family were vacations on Block Island, R.I. with tea in bed with “Gran” in the morning and long idyllic days at the beach.

Diana was devoted to the care and well-being of her son, Johnny Brooks, who has cerebral palsy. She was concerned with the welfare of all children with disabilities and was honored in 1957 by the Easter Seal Society for outstanding service.

She had a friendly and lively interest in everyone and, consequently, was blessed with many long-lasting friendships with people in England and around America. As one granddaughter said, “she was the kind of person you wanted to be around.” She was definitely at her best holding court at afternoon tea where her witty and sarcastic humor shone through! Diana had an extraordinary ability to keep up with the times and to embrace social change. She was deeply open-minded and openhearted.

Diana Brooks is survived by her three children, Carolyn Brooks (Peter Morrin) of Louisville, Ky., Judy Brooks (Steve O’Donnell), of Monmouth, and Johnny Brooks of Monmouth and her stepson, Richard Stotter-Brooks (Elaine) of Bournemouth, England. She is also survived by her four devoted grandchildren, Matthew Morrin (New Orleans), Diana O’Donnell (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Lillian O’Donnell (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Rebecca Morrin (Baltimore, Md.) and her step-grandchildren, Andrew, Tim and Stuart Stotter-Brooks.

The family wishes to extend their heartfelt gratitude to Diane Beasley, Meagan Floyd, Francine Colwell, Vanessa Roy, Debbie Belanger and the many other devoted caregivers who have assisted Diana and Johnny over the years.

Memorial donations may be directed to the

Theater at Monmouth or the Kennebec Land Trust

Rupert Neily III

Executive Director, Theresa Kerchner, shares this remembrance of Rupert:

For those of you who were fortunate enough to be friends with Rupert, you know he was a conservation champion and a roamer. He loved to hike in the backwoods and coast of Maine and often sent along beautiful paintings and poems after his adventures.

 In 2003, Rupert arrived at the downtown Winthrop KLT office door with a request that we drive to Augusta so he could point out his then current passion - conserving Howard Hill! 

 I will hike the Howard Hill trails this weekend and think of Rupert. I am so happy that we could realize his conservation vision.

Tue, 04/28/2020 - 7:30am

Rupert Neily III

Rupert Neily III died in a cabin overlooking Knickerbocker Lake, Boothbay, Maine, on April 27, 2020, lovingly cared for by son Aaron, partner Leslie, and sister Sandy.

Rupert was born on Nov. 15, 1945 in Portland and grew up on Lincoln Street in East Boothbay. He graduated from Boothbay Region High School, where he played basketball and football and was president of his class all four years. He graduated from the University of Maine at Orono, and had a passion for history. During the Vietnam War he served in the Coast Guard, from which he received an honorable discharge as a conscientious objector. He worked for several environmental and conservation organizations in Maine, of which serving as director of the Maine Land Trust Network was closest to his heart.

Rupert’s first and enduring love was the Maine woods, lakes, streams, hills and coast. They were his botanical garden. He avidly explored them on foot, bike and rowing and sailing his beloved Whitehall, his eye ever roaming to an alluring ridgeline. He learned how to find his way in the woods as a boy hunting with his father. He learned how to find spiritual nourishment from the mystery of nature all on his own, most especially during his recovery from a bone marrow transplant from his sister Sandy for leukemia in 1998.

The person Rupert most cherished was his son Aaron, his favorite companion on his favorite row from East Boothbay to South Bristol. Their connection ran deep, as they explored books, films and ideas with meaning for them both.

The Sisterhood — Liz, Sandy, Kathy and Joy — were a major force in Rupert’s life, and they dearly loved their only brother. Rupert saw them individually and collectively as forces of nature. They circled the wagons whenever he needed them, and he was in awe of and devoted to them.

In 2000, he found his “Pownal family,” the Hydes, through Dave and Steve’s Two Roads Maine, which partnered with Chewonki to offer guided wilderness trips as journeys of healing exploration. Steve Hyde became Rupert’s treasured and closest friend.

He met his partner Leslie Bird in 2005 on a ‘’Rupert’s Rambles” hike from Murray Hill Road to Farnham Cove. Leslie had to go on several more rambles before winning him over, but as her grandmother said, “he’s worth pursuing.’’

Rupert was mischievous, loved to trespass, was perplexed by rules and so generally avoided them. He found signs everywhere, layers of meaning unseen by the rest of us. He collected “icons,” things he found in his path, put there for some reason that was his work to figure out. A favorite was a fork flattened by a car tire, which became “the fork in the road.”

Rupert was predeceased by his parents, Elizabeth (Betty “Biz” Bisbee) and Rupert Neily Sr.

He is survived by son Aaron, partner Leslie, sisters Liz, Sandy, Kathy and Joy, their spouses and children, his former wife Ellen, and much to his delight last summer, a newly discovered sister, Anne. He was grateful to his doctor and friend of 22 years, Dr. Scott Schiff-Slater of Hallowell.

Contributions in Rupert’s memory may be made to the Kennebec Land Trust (www.tklt.org) or the Boothbay Region Land Trust (www.bbrlt.org). A time for remembrance will be found in the future.

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.

Louise Anne Macy

Louise Anne Macy, 95, of Canton, passed away February 2, 2020. Devoted daughter of the late David Kniznik and Bella Shatkin Kniznik. Beloved wife of the late Edwin A. Macy. Devoted mother of Deborah Macy Sewall (Sydney) and Barbara Jane Macy and the late David James Macy. Dear grandmother of Bella Sewall Wolitz (David) and Sam Sewall (Wendy Evans). Proud great-grandmother of Michael Wolitz, Joshua Wolitz, Justin Sewall and Leo Sewall. Loving sister of the late Estelle Klayman and Sylvia Fain. She was a loving aunt, cousin, and friend to many. Louise’s smile warmed all who met her.

Louise was a member of Temple Beth El in Fall River, Nehar Shalom Community Synogogue in Jamaica Plain and Kennebec Land Trust and Hadassah.

 Services at Wilson Chapel, 234 Herrick Rd., Newton Centre, MA on Tuesday, February 4, 2020 at 11 am, interment will follow at Temple Beth El Cemetery, Fall River. Shiva will be held at Orchard Cove, 1 Del Pond Dr., Canton, MA 02021 following interment until 6 pm, minyan at 5pm. Wednesday and Thursday shiva will be held at Nehar Shalom Community Synogogue, 6-8 pm, minyan at 7 pm.

Donations in her memory may be made to Temple Beth El, PO Box 871, Augusta, ME 04332, Nehar Shalom Community Synogogue, 43 Lochstead St., Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, Kennebec Land Trust, PO Box 261, Winthrop, ME 04364, or a charity of your choice.

David Payson Snow (1934 - 2019)

FALMOUTH FORESIDE - David Payson Snow, of Falmouth Foreside, Maine, passed away on Tuesday, July 9, 2019, in the company of his family.

Born to Roger Vinton and Alida Payson Snow on Feb. 1, 1934, in Falmouth. David lived most of his life in the Greater Portland area. He attended Wayneflete primary school, Falmouth public schools and Williams College (class of '56), where he was a member of the Sigma Phi fraternity. He was an active member of the Williams Alumni Association for over 60 years.

David met his future wife, Sandra Jane Stroud, at Waites Landing in Falmouth. They were married on New Year's Eve in 1956, and were devoted to each other until Sandra's death in 2016. Along with raising many dogs, David was a beloved father to five children, grandfather to 13 grandchildren, and a recent great-grandfather to a great-grandson.

A dedicated and successful businessman, David began his career at Westbrook American Paper, and then Canal Bank. He ventured out to found Northeast Marketing Research Company, ("Normark"), in Yarmouth and was the director of WABK radio in Augusta. David spent most of his career as a financial advisor, manager and senior vice president at Merrill Lynch in the Portland office, where he worked for 22 years. He then joined Morgan Stanley as senior vice president and retired in 2012. Although he enjoyed his long and fruitful career, David always made time for his communities, travel, family and friends.

David worked for many years on the Cumberland Town Council, as a chair, and board member. He also served on both the Greely and Falmouth School Boards, and was a member and Paul Harris Fellow of Portland Rotary. David generously supported many colleges, private schools, and his church. David's great grandfather was the first person to be baptized in the Brown family chapel (now the Episcopal Church of Saint Mary), where he was a senior warden, and an active lifelong member.

As a devoted father and athlete, David was instrumental in establishing the Seacoast Swimming Club in Cumberland and could often be found running meets and timing events, cheering on all of the participants (including all five of his children). He also competed in running and swimming events past his retirement, and enjoyed golfing, hiking, biking, and skiing with his friends, children and grandchildren.

Fast cars were a particular passion of David's. As a lifetime member of the Cumberland Motor Club, he won over one hundred trophies from races, rallies, and gymkhana/auto-crosses throughout New England. He knew every paved and dirt road, rarely needing a map when traveling, which he enjoyed doing worldwide. His favorite pastime of all, however, was creating and sharing memories with his large and loving family.

David was predeceased by his parents, and brother, Roger, his sister, Judith, and brother-in-law Arthur Benoit, and his wife of 59 years.

He leaves behind his children, Kitsey Snow and her husband, Tim Nuland of Ridgefield, Conn., Cmdr. Richard Snow USN (ret.) and his wife, Lori, of Yarmouth, D. Robinson Snow of Portland, Mary Snow EdM and her husband, Ross FitzGerald EdM, of Watertown, Mass., Lt. Cmdr. TC Adam Snow, USA (ret.) of Bridgton and Washington, DC.; sister-in-law, N. Lee Snow of Falmouth; 13 loving grandchildren; a great-grandson, many cousins, nieces, nephews, caretakers and friends.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 20, at 11 a.m., at The Episcopal Church of Saint Mary, 43 Foreside Road, Falmouth, Maine 04105.

In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to the

Kennebec Land Trust

tklt.org

331 Main Street

Winthrop, ME 04364

or the Episcopal Relief and Development Fund

episcopalrelief.org;

PO Box 7058

Merrifield, VA 22116,

or the Maine Community Foundation

mainecf.org

245 Main St.

Ellsworth, ME 04605

Joan G. "Jet" Price (1946 - 2019)

MONMOUTH - Joan "Jet" G. Price died at her home in Monmouth on June 13, 2019. She was born at the Boston Lying-In Hospital in 1946, the first child of Thelma Alpert Price and Henry S. Price. She grew up in Newton, Mass., and was educated in the local schools. She graduated from Connecticut College in 1968 with a degree in fine arts and attended The Museum School before earning a master's degree from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. 

Jet lived on a kibbutz in Israel for two years where she worked and studied Hebrew. While in art school and living in Jamaica Plain, she met a law student, Joseph "Joe" M. O'Donnell, and they married in 1975. As a young girl, she went to summer camps in Maine and fell in love with the state, so she needed little persuasion to settle there. The couple lived in Purgatory Village and restored a house there before moving two miles up the road to Monmouth to a brand new home that Jet had a large part in designing and building, along with establishing the many gardens on the property. 

Her elder son, John Ezechiel O'Donnell, was born in 1980, and her second son, Jacob Eamon O'Donnell, was born in 1983. Jet stayed with her sons at home where they benefited from her playful attention, fierce originality, and wit. She thrived as a mother and filled the house with her artistic creations and iconoclastic spirit while making sure her pantry was always copiously stocked. 

Jet served as a teacher in the Hebrew School at the Temple Beth El for many years. As a cheap date with her husband after hours at the Registry of Deeds, she learned to search real estate title and later worked abstracting with Attorney Paul Mills of Farmington and with Goodspeed & O'Donnell. 

In 2000, Jet became the art teacher at the Henry L. Cottrell School in Monmouth. She taught for over fifteen years. Every Monmouth student from the era still has a pinch pot or ash tray made within her massive spring project that she labored to complete before the end of each school year. 

Jet's prolific desire to create art lead her across many formats. She was adept at pastels, and made beautiful landscapes, but her main focus was pottery which she crafted in her home studio. She produced an impressive collection of mugs, bowls and vases. Her pottery art went through various phases, but her last was majolica, which she elaborately hand decorated with illustrations that often reflected her sly humor. 

A family aunt noted that Jet had golden hands, and indeed she knit, drew, sewed, wove, cooked, quilted and gardened. She traveled extensively, frequently to art museums. She enjoyed keeping active and loved badminton, running, walking, cross-country skiing, and swimming.

She leaves her husband; sons, John Ezechiel O'Donnell (Leah Kolenda O'Donnell) of Yorktown Heights, N.Y., and Jacob E. O'Donnell (Alexa Baz) of Brooklyn, N.Y.; grandchildren Ada, Ezra, and Sylvia, all of Yorktown Heights, N.Y.; her brother, William A. Price, of Franklin, Mass.; her sister-in-law, Judy Brooks (Steve O'Donnell) of Monmouth; extended family and countless friends. 

Jet will have a family burial and then there will be a memorial service at East Monmouth Methodist Church, 573 Route 135 in Monmouth on June 21, at 3 p.m. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to

Kennebec Land Trust

P.O. Box 261

Winthrop, ME 04364

Temple Beth El

P.O. Box 871

Augusta, ME 04332

Doctors Without Borders USA

P.O. Box 5030

Hagertown, MD 21741

or a charity of choice.

Mary Merry Oatway

KLT remembers land donor Mary Oatway.

NORTHFIELD, Vt. - Mary Merry Oatway died peacefully Saturday, Nov.17, 2018, at the age of 97.

She was born in Fillmore, Calif., on June 22, 1921, to Eugene and Blanche (Longley) Merry. She attended Smithfield and Norridgewock schools and graduated from Edward Little High in Lewiston in 1938. She subsequently graduated from Farmington State Teachers College.

In 1956 she married Gordon Charles Oatway of Augusta. She lived in East Winthrop for 58 years in the home they built together, raising two children.

Mary taught in Randolph Schools, Winthrop Schools, the State School for Girls in Hallowell, and provided continuing education for teachers. She served as Regent of the Augusta Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, President of the Kennebec Valley Garden Club, and on the board of directors of Viles Arboretum.

Full of adventure and curiosity, Mary was always welcome at any event. She was a person of diverse interests; writing, history, nature, and art, often the interests interwove in creative ways. Her design graced the cover of the Kennebec Valley Garden Club handbook for years and she was an integral part of the Blaine House Christmas decorating committee. A child of nature, she reveled in all things about the outdoors, hiking, gardening, birds, trees and creatures.

In 2012, Mary donated 89 acres of land to the Kennebec Land Trust, creating the Little Cobbossee Oatway Preserve. As her legacy she preserved the land in perpetuity for all to enjoy.

Mary was predeceased by her husband of nearly 50 years, Gordon Oatway, as well as eight siblings.

She is survived by a brother, George Merry, of Lake Havasu City, Ariz.; a daughter, Martha Oatway and husband, Robert Jordan, of Asheville, N.C., and their daughter, Page Spiess of Randolph Center, Vt.; a son, Seth Oatway and wife, Lelonie, of Braintree, Vt., and their children, Ian Oatway, Caroline Adams, Nicholas Adams, and Evan Adams.

Interment will be at the Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Augusta in a private ceremony. In lieu of a funeral, an announcement will be made for a Celebration of Life at a later date.

Arrangements are under the care of Roberts Funeral Home, 62 Bowdoin St., Winthrop, where memories and condolences may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the website at www.familyfirstfuneralhomes.com

In lieu of flowers or donations, the family requests that well-wishers find a special place in their garden or the woods to remember Mary fondly and privately.

Published in Central Maine on Nov. 20, 2018

Dr. Robert Milton Ladd

KLT remembers former advisor, Robert Ladd.

Dr. Robert Milton Ladd 1928 - 2018 AUGUSTA -

Dr. Robert Milton Ladd, the son of George and Helen Filene Ladd, passed away on Nov. 22, 2018, at the Glenridge Long Term Care facility in Augusta.Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Sept. 25, 1928, he lived most of his life in Tucson, Ariz. and Manchester, while each year summering in Wayne. After graduating from Bard College and serving in the U.S Army he earned his M.A. in Education from Trinity College, taught at Hallowell High School, and received his D. Ed. degree from the University of Virginia. He then worked for the Florida State Department of Education as well as the Department of Educational Studies at Oxford University in England and, following his retirement, returned to Maine. He was a long standing trustee of Skidmore College, N.Y. and was awarded honorary alumni status. He also served as a director of the Lincoln and Therese Filene Foundation of Boston, Mass., and served on the Board of Directors of Green Fields School in Tucson, Ariz.Bob was predeceased by his wife, Virginia Lewis Ladd in 1999; a son, Robert D. Ladd in 2013; and a brother, George Ladd III in 2006. Survivors include a brother, Lincoln and his wife, Gloria of Wayne; a daughter, Betsy Ladd of Wayne, two sons, J. Scott and his wife, Patricia, their children Samantha T. and Jackson S., all of Winthrop and William Ladd of Framingham, Mass.; his grandchildren, (family of Robert D.) Breinne F. Walton and husband, Luke of California, with their children, Lawson R. and Landen F. Walton, Joshua T. Ladd and his wife, Sarah, and their children, Kirin A. and Hunter T. Ladd, Aspen and Marley Peace of Minneapolis, Minn.A special thanks to the staff at Glenridge, Granite Hill Reflections Unit and Androscoggin Hospice.A private memorial service will be held in the summer of 2019. Arrangements are in the care of Roberts Funeral Home, 62 Bowdoin Street, Winthrop. Memories, condolences, photos, and videos may be shared with the family on the obituary page of our website at www.familyfirstfuneralhomes.comIn lieu of flowers donations may be made to:Berry Dexter Wilson Ponds WatershedP.O. Box 234Winthrop ME 04364; orArizona Sonora Desert Museum2021 N Kinney Rd.Tucson, Arizona 85743