Daniel L. True

GRAY – Daniel L. True, 72, of Gray, died peacefully Saturday evening Nov. 4, 2023, at his home.

He was born in Lewiston on June 12, 1951, the son of Edward and Bessie (Haskell) True. He grew up in New Gloucester with his brothers Calvin and Harvey, and moved to Gray in the 1980s. Dan graduated from Gray-New Gloucester High School in 1969 and attended one year at the University of Maine in Orono prior to joining the U.S. Army in February 1971 for three years.

He served for seven months in Vietnam as part of the Army Security Agency. After searching the world over he found the love of his life in 1981 through friends Donnie and Iva Carroll. Of course, it took him eight years to realize it and finally married his wife, Nancy Coffill, on Sept. 30, 1989, and became a loving stepdad to her daughters Bethany and Karen.

Dan had several jobs after he got out of the service. He finally settled down after he got married as he started his dispatch career in the early 1990s for Gray Fire and Rescue. While working there, he was convinced to take a part time position as dispatcher for the Cumberland County Regional Communications Center, which soon turned into a full-time position where he retired in 2014.

Dan was a past commander and life-time member of the Gray American Legion. He was also a member of the New-Gloucester Amets. He was a volunteer for the New Gloucester Rescue. He served on the Gray-New Gloucester School Board by Town Council appointment and served an elected term as a New Gloucester resident before moving to Gray. There he initially was appointed to fill a temporary position and served an elected term as a Gray resident, one year as chairperson. He was a talented public speaker and excelled at writing articles for any occasion. He was also involved in local politics, serving as campaign manager for several terms.

Dan enjoyed life. He loved to make people laugh, loved parties, and did many good deeds quietly for family and friends, including mentoring a grandnephew. He had a great sense of humor; enjoyed reading, making puzzles, doing Sudoku, Cross Sums, and Logic Problems, and watching NASCAR racing. He also looked forward to fireworks on the 4th of July at his camp in Poland each year.

Dan was one of a kind. He had started writing his Obit with these words. “If you are reading this, you know I am now dead.” This is the Dan – the humor, the joy he spread, the love of life he enjoyed – the man we knew and will always remember fondly.

Dan was predeceased by his parents.

He is survived by his wife, Nancy; his stepdaughter, Bethany Wildes, and her fiancé T, his stepdaughter, Karen Anderson; four grandchildren, Kyle Michaud, Emily Palizay, Michael Wildes and Benjamin Wildes; his brother, Calvin True and his wife Deborah, his brother, Harvey True and his wife Linda; his aunt, Eleanor Draper; and numerous cousins; nephews, nieces; and grandnephews and grandnieces.

A celebration of his life will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 29 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the American Legion, 15 Lewiston Rd., Gray.