EDMOND LEE COAD

SEDGWICK – Edmond Lee Coad, 70, died peacefully Feb. 13, 2008, in the compassionate care of the oncology staff at a Bangor hospital, a survivor of prostate cancer for 11 years. He was born Jan. 4, 1938, in East St. Louis, Ill., the son of Edmond Smiley Coad and Vivian Idella (Toombs) Coad. Growing up, Lee absorbed his father’s progressive interests; always modernizing, they had one of the first houses on their street with electric lights. He spent much of his youth with his maternal grandmother, Etta (Mayberry) Toombs, always impressed with her strength and perseverance. His mother and her sisters, Margaret Roberta and Ruby Agnes, Lee clearly recognized as intelligent and industrious women before their time. His fate was sealed early to forever be surrounded by women of their caliber, and Lee reveled in this. Lee graduated in 1962 from the University of Missouri, Rolla School of Mines with a Bach-elor of Science in civil engineering. At Rolla, he was a member of Triangle Fraternity and worked for a surveying company, which was the beginning of a lifelong career in engineering and construction. During college, Lee dated his high school sweetheart, Char-lene Molly Jackson and they married March 25, 1960. They had three daughters, Christine Renee, Michelle Ann and Linda Lee. Christmas was always an especially festive time, as the family convened at the home of Charlene’s sister and bro-ther-in-law, Audrey and Robert Rosenblatt Sr., and their sons, Robert Jr., George and Henry. Lee started his professional career as a project engineer for Bethlehem Steel and found his passion for building bridges, which would become a theme of his life. While working on the construction of the I-70 bridge across the Mississippi River, at the foot of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, he met Dennis Melius, who he introduced to Charlene’s younger sister, Sharon Inez Jackson. Dennis and Sharon hit it off, married, and live in Aurora, Colo., near their daughter, Sarah Ellen Melius; another successful bridge project to Lee’s credit. In 1970, his work brought Lee and his young family of five to Maine for the first time, where he realized another lifelong passion: the rocky coastline and the friendly Maine people. They worked on another bridge project, the I-95 gateway to Maine, the Piscatiquas River Bridge or otherwise known as “Dad’s Bridge.” There, Lee learned the meaning of “downeast,” to dig clams and to appreciate the art of eating lobster. He was hooked. After a project near Pittsburgh, Lee was drawn back to Maine and accepted a position with Cianbro Corp., in 1973, settling in Waterville. Later, Lee started his own business, CJC Construction, which quickly developed a reputation for exceeding customer’s expectations in the decorative cement and pavers business. In Waterville, Lee took up downhill skiing and loved the sanctuary of their back yard, where he enjoyed gardening, grilling and visiting with the four nuns who lived next door. Lee and Charlene enjoyed a loving marriage for almost 31 years, when Charlene died from breast cancer Feb. 18, 1991. While vacationing in Antigua, Lee met and fell in love with Lynda A. S. Whittle of Worth, West Sussex, England, who was vacationing with her parents, Bill and Pat Whittle of Worthing, West Sussex, England. Lynda introduced Lee to yet another passion; world traveling, and Lee quickly developed a love and respect for the people and customs of many cultures from Jakarta to Australia. On May 16 1992, Lee and Lynda married overlooking – you guessed it – the rocky coast in Wells. Always up for an adventure, Lee and Lynda traveled the U.S. extensively while Lee was a project manager for NHW&L of Tallahassee, Fla. As if by design, this lifestyle afforded them the opportunity to live at different times near each of his daughters, Christine and Linda, and enjoy the early years of his granddaughters, Renee and Emily; while trips to the home office brought them close to Lynda’s brother, John and wife, Jeanie, living in Tallahassee, Fla. Lee went on to consulting on large industrial construction projects around the U.S. and in Hainan, China, passing his extensive knowledge and experience on to the new generation of engineers. During an August snowfall in 2003, at age 65, Lee summited Mount Katahdin for his fourth time with daughters, Michelle and Linda; and granddaughter, Renee. In the fall of 2005, Lee’s heart led him and Lynda back to Maine to retire, where he planned and built his own home, near his daughter, Michelle in Sedgwick. Sharing his love for our rugged coastline, Lee and Lynda became keenly interested in the history and arts of sea glass. With their dog, Lady, they could comb the beach for hours. Always building bridges, Lee was quick to meet and develop sincere relationships with other residents and visitors to the Blue Hill peninsula community. Lee was often seen enjoying a cup of soup at Marlintini’s or a burger at the Blue Moose, picking up building supplies at Granville or lobsters from Dana Holbrook, or receiving a treatment and bringing a smile to the faces of Daune Lord and the oncology team at Blue Hill Memorial Hospital. Lee’s cup was always half full; what a wonderful life! Lee is survived by his wife of 15 years, Lynda A. S. Coad of Sedgwick; daughters, Christine R. Coad of Cambridge, Mass., Michelle A. Coad of Sedgwick and Linda L. Coad of Charlotte, N.C.; and granddaughters, Renee I. Mekuria of Somerville, Mass., and Emily S. Isaacs of Charlotte, N.C. He was predeceased by his first wife, Charlene. In celebration of Lee’s life, his family will be welcoming guests 2-5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16, at Jordan-Fernald, 141 South St., Blue Hill. A spring interment will be in Waterville, where he will be laid to rest with Charlene. Contributions in Lee’s memory may be made to Blue Hill Memorial Hospital, care of Oncology Department, P.O. Box 823, Blue Hill, ME 04614. Condolences may be expressed online at www.jordanfernald.com.