SACO — Michael Scarks of Saco died suddenly at Maine Medical Center on March 5, 2015.
He was born in Lowell, Massa-chusetts on April 3, 1953, a son of Karol and Helen (Anderson) Scarks.
Through his father, he grew a love and appreciation for nature and animals, hiking, camping and hunting in northern New Hampshire. He attended schools in Dracut, Massachusetts, through sixth grade before moving to Hudson, New Hampshire. He attended Alvirne High School and graduated with honors with a degree in civil engineering in 1975 from Lowell Technological Institute, the year before it became part of the University of Lowell.
After college, he was accepted in the Naval Aviation Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, Florida, where he acquired his pilot skills. Subsequent employment was as an engineer at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, as the city engineer for Portsmouth, New Hampshire, managing the Portsmouth branch of Costello, Lomasney & DiNapoli, preparing the evacuation plans for the Seabrook nuclear power plant, and project manager for the hotel chain Suisse Chalet. He then started his own business in Portland, building the first of four Budget Traveler Motels.
Most recently, he developed countless properties in Maine and nationwide through his companies, A&M Partners and Neptune Properties. With partner and best friend Lou Wood, he revitalized many historic properties in Portland, such as the former Maine National Bank building on Exchange and Congress streets, the old Merrill Transport Building on Forrest Avenue, the W.L. Blake Building on Franklin Street, the Nissan Bakery Building on Washington Avenue, the 500 Washington Ave. block adjacent to Tukey’s Bridge, and recently House Island in Casco Bay.
Mike was selfless with the time he gave to people needing his expertise and business advice.
Among his many philanthropic contributions he was: director of Rivergreen Bank, founder of Haven House in Portland, and volunteer project manager for the rebuilding of Most Holy Trinity Church in Saco in 1992-1993. He personally funded and planned Saco school field trips to the historic mills in Lowell, Massachusetts, and to the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport. He also contributed his time and service to The Make a Wish Foundation and Angel Flight, providing transportation for children receiving chemotherapy treatments.
He was a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Most Holy Trinity Church and Camp Ellis Rod and Gun Club. He was an avid pilot, flying helicopters, aerobatic biplanes, jet and twin engine planes exploring the inlets of coastal Maine, the mountains of New Hampshire and traversing North America. In 2005, he fulfilled a dream of building a World War II replica hangar at the Portland Jetport.
He was a mountaineer, traveling to Alaska and South America, snowmobiler, sailor, bird hunter, fisherman, and passionate animal lover. He was an avid war historian with much respect and admiration for the soldiers of World War I and World War II. He loved nothing more than to share these activities, or a martini on the dock with those family and friends closest to him.
Mike never turned down an opportunity for adventure and lived a life better suited for fiction than reality. His appetite for adventure was only rivaled by his actual appetite, which became a thing of lore with those around him.
All who knew him would acknowledge his larger-than-life presence and personality; he commanded the attention of the room through his sheer size and booming voice, and then through his kindness and thoughtfulness. With all his success, he never lost touch with the values of his humble upbringing. In turn, he inspired those around him with his humility and willingness to get his hands dirty.
Above all, Mike was devoted to family: his wife, Julianne (Crockett) Scarks; son, Stefan Scarks and wife Katrina of Portland; daughter, Kayley Scarks of Andover, Kansas; granddaughter, Stella; and expected grandson, Harrison Scarks. Mike loved nothing more than spending time with his granddaughter, and will be missed as a grandfather to Harrison.
Other beloved family members include: sister-in-law, Beth Stepancik; niece, Petra Waggoner; and cousins, Judy Monahan and Sandi Strzepek. He also leaves lifelong friends, Dan and Jackie Ayer and their family; and Gail Weatherbee.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Coastal Humane Society, 30 Range Road, Brunswick, ME 04011, and to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675.
Visiting hours will be 4”“7 p.m. on Thursday, March 12 at Hope Memorial Chapel, 480 Elm St., Biddeford. A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, March 13 at the funeral home. To share condolences online, visit www.hopememorial.com.
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