Gene first met his future wife Serita Lane of Monticello at age ten when their fathers were trading potatoes. They attended Ricker together and were married at the Houlton Methodist Church on June 22, 1948. They made their first home in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and following Gene’s honorable discharge from the Air Force in 1949 they returned to Littleton and became the fourth generation to work the family farm bordering the Meduxnekeg River. Gene also worked at the Houlton Starch Factory and drove tractor trailers delivering potatoes to Boston and returning with loads of produce for local grocery stores. He liked working nights, but had to farm during the day—so he became an expert at the art of the afternoon nap.
In 1964, following his father’s death, Gene and Serita converted the original McClay/Campbell/Dow family potato farm to Stillmeadows Dairy Farm. They raised five children on their farm, and while Serita taught 5th and 6th grades at the Littleton Elementary School, they worked as a team to build an award winning dairy operation. It was a wonderful place for his children’s friends and later for his grandchildren to visit.
Gene enjoyed being a member of IOOF Lodge # 78 and led the Stillmeadows bowling league with his sons and son in- law. Gene sold his dairy herd in 1989 but continued dairy work with his cousin David Henderson. In 1995 Gene and Serita retired to their son Jeffrey’s home in New Hampshire. After Serita’s death in 1996 Gene worked as a janitor in NH. He enjoyed driving his grandchildren to activities and fishing Lake Winnipesaukee with his friends from work.
Maine drew him home however, and in 1998 he returned to live with his daughter Stephanie and her family in Topsham. He traveled extensively, spending winters in Arizona with his son Christopher and family. As a great fan of Westerns and the Old West, trips to Boot Hill, Tombstone and the Grand Canyon were highlights. He took part in many adventures, including canoeing the Allagash Wilderness Waterway with his son Jeffrey, camping extensively at Baxter State Park with his daughter Stephanie and her family and helping his granddaughters with their horses. He faithfully attended all his grandchildren’s’ many sporting events, performances and recitals. The youngest delighted him with the drawings they sent him and their stories and dances.
In 2004 Gene suffered a stroke during heart bypass surgery. This led to a series of health challenges including brain surgery and surgery to place a rod and pin in his hip, leaving his right leg 2″ shorter than his left. Although forced to use a walker and wheelchair, Gene continued to enthusiastically pursue his many hobbies and activities, including oil painting, jig saw puzzles, latch hooking, crossword puzzles and word searches, reading westerns, mysteries and history, and watching Westerns and World War II films.
Gene moved to Creekside Village in Brunswick in 2007. He made many wonderful friends there thanks to his jocularity and charisma, and he especially enjoyed attending the community pot luck dinners and playing Bingo. His beloved cats Lily (predeceased) and Georgia were his constant and devoted companions. His apartment had a wonderful view of the woods and creek and he liked to keep a watchful eye on the antics of the mallards and squirrels drawn to the wooded brook just beyond his windows, as well as the birds that flocked to his feeders. He was also a regular for breakfast at the Fairground Café and he truly believed there was always room for ice cream.
Gene was predeceased by his infant sister Barbara (1931), his brother Frederick (1989), his parents (1963 and 2001), his in-laws Charles and Virginia Lane (1969 and 1987), three sister in-laws Charlene Walton ( 2009), Jacqueline Smith (2011), Yvonne Graham ( 1998) and his wife Serita (June 18,1996).
Gene is survived by his children and their families: daughter Stephanie and her husband Charles McChord II of Topsham, son Michael of Plant City, FL, son Jeffrey and his wife Mei of MA, son Brian and his wife Beth( Belyea) of Mapleton, son Christopher and his wife Nakisha (Blake)of Riverdale, MD. Also his sixteen grandchildren: Lane Calloway McChord of Topsham, Lindsey McChord of Stow, MA, Michael Dow, Jr and his wife Anna( Rodriguez) of Charlotte, NC, Stephanie Dow of Valrico, FL, Jeremiah Dow and his wife Kenn of MA, Nathan Dow and his wife Andi of NH, Amanda Dow of NH, Haley Dow of MA, Adam Dow and his wife Tiara (Fletcher)of Caribou, Andrew Dow and his wife April ( Neher) of Presque Isle, Amber and her husband Patrick “Ryan” Gwinn of Bangor, Benjamin Dow and his wife Laura( Thibodeau) of Presque Isle, Erin Dow of MD, Brandon Dow and his fiancé Ashli Woods of Phoenix, AZ, Lynese Dow and Serita Dow of Riverdale, MD.
Gene was blessed with nine great- grandchildren: Kaydence, Catherine, Gabriel, Jacob, Adrian, Cameron, Bryson, Wyatt and Ariyah. ” Grampy” enjoyed all his grandchildren and greatgrandchildren tremendously! Gene is also survived by former daughter in-laws Sheila Miller Goetz and Martha McDade Dow, who welcomed him into their homes for extended visits over the years, and Maritza Williams Dow, who continued to be so thoughtful of him during his final illness, as well as several nieces, nephews, cousins and brother in-law James Graham of Bay Minette, AL. Gene is also survived by his favorite “adopted” daughter Cynthia Hagerman Milton and her family.
The family wants to thank Heather Baker of Arrowsic, his gerontologist, who helped him reclaim his life and interests after his stroke and brain surgery and remained a dear friend to Gene.
Gene received extraordinary medical care from Dr. John Parker of Topsham as well as Dr. Angela Perron, Mary Lake FNP, Dr. Greg Leach, Dr. Hannah N, and Dr. Linda Gifford and the wonderful staff of Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick. He was a favorite at Hawthorne House in Freeport during his final months, and the family wishes to thank the aides and nurses who worked with him for their care and compassion.
A memorial reception and celebration of Gene’s life will be held at Creekside Village, 50 Baribeau Drive, Brunswick on March 4, 2012 from 2 to 5 pm. Memorial services and internment will be held in Littleton in the summer; details will be announced at a later date.
Memorial donations may be made care of Dunn Funeral Home to either Rockin’ T Equine Rescue of Lisbon Falls http:// www.rockintequinerescue.com, Coastal Humane Society of Brunswick http://www.coastalhumanesociety.org or the Houlton Humane Society (www.houltonhumanesociety.org) For online guest book and condolences: dunnfuneral.com.
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