BOOTHBAY HARBOR Fredson Irving Blake, 84, died Saturday, Jan. 26, 2008, at St. Andrews Hos-pital, Boothbay Harbor. He was born July 13, 1923, in Newcastle, a son of Irving E. and Hazel Lailer Blake. He grew up in Boothbay and attended local schools. At the age of 16, he began his entrepreneurial career by buying a garage in Wiscasset. He married Virginia Barter, April 13, 1941. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1943 and was a veteran of World War II. After the war he worked for Manley Reed and purchased the boatyard from Manley in 1951, renaming it Blake’s Boatyard. He later bought a machine shop, which now sits next to the Tugboat Inn. He purchased Pier 1 from Gulf Oil in 1961 and ran it as Blake’s Marine. He later sold it to his sons in 1973 and he had continued on as an advisor of the family business until his death. He was a charter member of Booth-bay Region Lions Club, member of Bayview Masonic Lodge AF & AM No. 196, Kora Temple Shriners, where he was an assistant potentate, Downeast Yacht Club, numerous golf clubs, Boothbay Region Fish & Game Association, Charles E. Sherman American Legion Post and VFW. He was an avid golfer, boater and hunter. He recently purchased a new hunting dog, Maisy, to go bird hunting next season. He was a family man who always enjoyed getting together with his family to share meals and good times. He will be sadly missed by all who knew him. He was predeceased by his wife, Virginia Barter Blake, in 2002. He is survived by three sons, Joseph A. Blake and his wife, Brenda, of Barters Island, Gary I. Blake and his wife, Cathy, of Boothbay and Neil F. Blake and his wife, Sheila, of Boothbay; grandchildren, Tyler Blake and his wife, Lynn, of Boothbay, Aaron Blake and his wife, Christin, of Boothbay, Amy Goodwin and her husband, Dusty, of East Boothbay, Charlinda Carlson and her husband, Matt, of Newcastle, Jessica Vilar of Burbank, Calif., and Karen O’teri of West Bridgewater, Mass.; and six great-grandchildren, Hali, Ethan, Gavin, Kyra, Sydney and Kari. Visiting hours will be held 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 30, at Simmons, Harrington & Hall Funeral Home, 975 Wiscasset Road, Boothbay. The funeral with military honors will be held 11 a.m. Thursday at Charles E. Sherman American Legion, Boothbay, with a reception after at the legion. Burial will be afterwards at Evergreen Cemetery, Boothbay. Donations may be made in Fred’s memory to the Boothbay Region Fish & Game, P.O. Box 408, Boothbay, ME 04537. Arrangements are entrusted to Simmons, Harrington & Hall Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Boothbay. <
FREDSON IRVING BLAKE
