Dan Collomy in 2007 Press Herald file photo
Danny Collomy, an accomplished carpenter and fixture in Buxton who dedicated his life to serving the town, died Wednesday after a period of declining health. He was 89.
Mr. Collomy was a member of the planning board for eight years and the Board of Selectmen from 2000 to 2010, including several years as chairman. In addition, he served on the town’s charter commission and personnel review board.
He was remembered this past week as a level-headed man who kept his promises and looked out for the best interests of the town. He was known to look at both sides of an issue.
Chad Poitras, chairman of Buxton’s Board of Selectmen, said Friday that Mr. Collomy was down to earth and well respected in the community. Poitras said he could relate to people and was always at community events.
“He was a great man. He really was,” Poitras said. “He was always dedicated to whatever he did. He was the type of guy if someone needed a project done, but they couldn’t afford it, he would go in and fix it. That was his way of giving back. I can’t say enough good things about him.”
In 2003, as a selectman, he supported a controversial policy that waived ambulance fees for anyone who couldn’t afford it.
“We have three groups of people in town – those with insurance, those without it, and the elderly who have insurance but maybe not enough,” Collomy said at the time. “So we need to come up with a pricing plan equitable to all three groups. That’s the dilemma we’ve got to figure out.”
An Army veteran who served in Korea, Collomy was instrumental in the development of a memorial to honor Korean War veterans in the Groveville section of town.
In 2007, Mr. Collomy was an outspoken supporter of a $1.8 million proposal for a new public works garage. Voters approved the town garage by a slim margin – six votes.
In 2011, Buxton’s annual town report was dedicated to Mr. Collomy and his wife, Olive.
“He was a good man,” said his daughter, Penny Hanson of Parsonsfield. “Both my mom and dad have been so generous with their time and efforts all these years. They served in the community in so many ways.”
Dan Collomy and his wife, Olive Family photo
Mr. Collomy and his wife lived on Berry Road and raised three children. His wife reminisced on Friday about meeting him for the first time at a dance hall in Buxton. She said he asked her to dance, and they liked dancing the polka. They were married Sept. 5, 1954. Three days later, he left for Fort Dix, New Jersey, to serve in the Army.
Mr. Collomy was a carpenter in Buxton for more than 60 years and built the house he and his wife lived in. He was self-employed and built houses throughout the Buxton area and did home improvement projects. Most notably, he built the toll booth at the transfer station and benches and fencing at a local field. He also helped build the Salmon Falls Country Club and the Clambake Seafood Restaurant in Scarborough. He was still working around age 80.
“He grew up here,” Hanson said. “This was his hometown. He just wanted to do what he could to make it a good town and keep it a good town.”
Hanson said he was a great father, who involved the children in his passions for building, hunting and fishing. She said he once helped her patch an old rowboat they found sunk in a lake. They fixed the boat, painted it, and launched it back on the lake, she said.
“I always joke that I grew up with a carpenter dad. When I break a nail, it means I need a better grip on the hammer,” Hanson said, laughing.
Mr. Collomy had a passion for the outdoors. He was active in the Scarborough Fish and Game Association and Salmon Falls Country Club, as well as the Buxton Taxpayers Association.
He was a longtime member of the Buxton & Hollis Rod and Gun Club, where he held many positions, including president and hunter safety instructor. Recently, the new renovated rifle range was dedicated in his name.
His son, Daniel Collomy II of Waterboro, said he will miss hunting, fishing and working with his father.
“I’ll miss him. It’s tough, but we will get through it,” he said.
Mr. Collomy’s wife took care of him at home throughout his illness. She said he kissed her every time he left the house, and kissed her again when he came home.
“It makes me feel good to know people are thinking of him,” she said. “I miss him already. He was always right here.”
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