SEAL HARBOR – David L. Durost, 79, went home to be with the Lord on Aug. 27, 2005. He was born July 12, 1926, in Mars Hill, son of Morley and Alice (Leonard) Durost. As a veteran of World War II, he attended Farmington State Teachers College under the G.I. bill. He received his masters in education at the University of Maine. He began his teaching career as sole teacher of 30 third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh graders in a two-room schoolhouse in East Dixfield. He taught four years at the campus school, later called Mallet School, in Farmington, then moved to Pennsylvania for nine years. He spent three years at Walt Disney School in Tullytown, Pa., was assistant principal at Edison Elementary School, Buckingham and several one-room schoolhouses in Plumstead, Pa., until the new school was built in 1961. In 1962, he was elected principal at Buckingham, where he stayed until moving home to Maine in 1965. After a year at the Stetson School in Northeast Harbor, he became the first principal of Mount Desert Elementary School, where he stayed until his first retirement in 1979. He came out of retirement to work briefly as a weaver’s apprentice for Dunlop’s Weavers before becoming head custodian at MDIHS, where he worked for about a decade. He is remembered fondly by many of his students for his fractured fairy tales as well as his firm but fair discipline. He enjoyed photography, camping, long walks and bike rides through Acadia National Park. The eternal optimist, he saw the silver lining in every cloud. He will be missed for his ability to find something good in every situation, for his sense of humor, his loyalty to those he loved, his intellectual curiosity and his wisdom. He is survived by his wife, Pauline (Phillips) Durost of Seal Harbor; two daughters and two sons, Beverly Locke of Surry, Dale and Ginny Durost of Attleboro, Mass., Debbie and Gary Scillia of Ellsworth and Paul and Jeana Durost of Seal Harbor; seven grandchildren, Amanda Hill and Darci Locke of Surry, Philip Durost of Quincy, Mass., and John Durost of Attleboro, Mass., Bethany Durost of Seal Harbor and Aaron and James Scillia of Ellsworth; great-granddaughter, Sherri Hill of Surry. He is survived by three brothers, and four sisters, Donald Durost of Ocala, Fla., Barbara Farina of Avon, Marjorie Gammon of Peru, Richard Durost of Ocala, Fla., Margaret George of Peru, Audrey Sweet of Avon and Robert Durost of Elliot; and many nieces and nephews. Services will be held 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 3, at the Union Church in Northeast Harbor. In lieu of flowers those who wish may donate in his memory to Mount Desert Nursing Association, P.O. Box 397, Northeast Harbor, ME 04662.
DAVID L. DUROST
