DENNYSVILLE – Albert Gardner Mahar, 95, died Friday, March 17, 2006, at a healthcare facility in Machias. He was born March 31, 1910, in Dennysville, the son of the late Edwin and Roberta (Gardner) Mahar. He was a lifelong resident of Dennysville. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Mary (McGinnis) Mahar; daughter and son-in-law, Mary and Rep. Howard McFadden; grandson and wife, Charles and Gail McFadden; great-grandchildren, Howie, Mallorie and Matt, all of Dennysville; a great-granddaughter, Samantha of Anchorage, Alaska; sister, Vivian (Mahar) Trott and family of Portland, Conn.; sister and brother-in-law, Bill and Muriel (Mahar) Juska and family of Eatontown, N.J.; sister-in-law, Peggy Mahar of McMinnville, Tenn.; special caregivers, Orene Clark and Eileen Dougherty; friends, Roy and Jennie Kilby; wartime buddy, John Shanaghan of East Haddam, Conn.; several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, his sisters, Pauline Emery, Marie Gough and Irene Schedinger; his brothers, Phil, Don, Dwight, Lloyd and Paul; several nieces and nephews. Mr. Mahar was a graduate of Dennysville High School, Class of 1927, Shaws Business College in Portland, Class of 1928, and Washington State Normal School (now UMM), Class of 1931. He taught school in East Machias before becoming postmaster in Dennysville in 1935. He holds the distinction in the United States of being the postmaster who served the longest time in the same job in the same post office, the Dennysville Post Office. He held that position for 63 years, a record unlikely to be broken. Mr. Mahar served in World War II in the postal service as a postal clerk with the 543rd Postal Unit in Africa and Italy. He received the Good Conduct Medal, the Victory Medal, and the European African Middle Eastern Theatre Campaign Ribbon. He served on the Dennysville School Committee, was a member and former officer of the Dennys River Sportmen’s Club and was an active member of the Dennysville-Edmunds Congregational Church. He loved to salmon fish along the banks of the Dennys River. He also spent countless hours repairing and refinishing old furniture and was an expert at caning chairs. Visiting hours will be held 6-8 p.m. Monday, March 20, at the Bragdon-Kelley-Campbell Funeral Home, 6 Cooper St., Machias. A funeral service will be held 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 21, at the Dennysville-Edmunds Congregational Church, with the Rev. Ron Windhorst and the Rev. Colin Windhorst officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to the Parish Hall Building Fund, care of Roy Kilby, 41 River Rd., Edmunds, ME 04628. A memorial register is available online at www.legacy.com
ALBERT GARDNER MAHAR
