HOWARD ALVAH CROSBY

BANGOR – Howard Alvah Crosby, beloved husband of the late Ruth (McSweeney) Crosby, passed away Saturday, Aug. 25, 2007, at his home. He was born Feb. 18, 1921, in Brewer, the son of Herbert and Helen (Jewett) Crosby. Howard grew up in Bangor, where he helped with the family grocery store on Ohio Street. He was a member of Bangor High School, Class of 1939, and went on to graduate from the University of Maine in 1943, with a degree in electrical engineering. Shortly after graduation he was dispatched to Anchorage, Alaska, with the U.S. Army, where he met and married the love of his life, a young woman from Wyoming. After the war, Howard and Ruth returned to Maine and lived for 55 years on Miller Hill, Hermon, running a summer tourist business known as Hermon Motor Court. Year after year loyal guests made their annual visits to the country cabins situated next to the apple orchard and the occasional cow. Here in this idyllic setting, Howard and Ruth raised their five children, welcomed friends and family from near and far and set about exploring, learn-ing, and sharing the beauty of their 90 acres. Howard served as a professor of electrical engineering at the University of Maine in Orono, retiring as a professor emeritus after 34 years in 1980. He thoroughly enjoyed teaching and appreciated his hard-working students, many, who became lifelong friends. Howard was an active member and former president of the Maine Society of Professional Engineers. After retiring, Howard joined in Ruth’s passion for gardening. They founded Crosby Gardens and Arboretum, practicing environmentally harmonious gardening and land preservation techniques. In doing so, they made many new friends through the Maine and American Rock Garden Societies, the American Iris Society, the Bangor Nature Club and local garden clubs. As more people came to admire their gardens and the trails through the woods, Howard and Ruth decided it was important the land continue on forever as a hands-on learning center for all to enjoy. They had already welcomed the installation of the Bangor Nature Club’s Mary Blethen Library into their home. Their next step was to establish a trust, Ecotat, to which they donated their land and home. For many happy years they worked with and became very fond of the many volunteers who shared their goal. Most important to Howard was his family. He enjoyed more than 20 years of square dancing with his wife, Ruth, and took great joy and interest in his children and grandchildren’s activities and adventures. Howard is remembered as an extremely loving, devoted and tolerant father, always putting others before himself, never blinking an eye when children brought home cows, ducks, even when the animals arrived in the family Buick. When his sons modified the aforementioned Buick sedan into a snowplow he praised their inventiveness. When his daughters jazzed up his staid professor’s wardrobe with purple vests and flowered ties, he wore them with pride. He will be forever remembered as a generous, hard-working and inventive man, quick to fill your plate with food, lend a helping hand or share a story. Always a gentleman and full of class, he could often be seen knee-deep in weeds, putting his imaginative garden creations to life while wearing his trademark shirt and tie. He will be dearly missed and lovingly remembered by his family, sons, Herbert and his wife, Judy, of Orono, Lewis of Old Town and Thomas and his wife, Judy, of Falmouth; daughters, Janet and her husband, Michael Carey, of Scarborough and Carol Crosby and her husband, Douglas Varney, of Greenbelt, Md.; and beloved grandchildren, Heidi Crosby and her husband, Richard Becker, of Madison, Wis., Amy Crosby of Orono, Bjorn Carey of New York City, Ingrid Carey of Brunswick, Karen Crosby of Boston and David Crosby of Falmouth. He and Ruth were especially fond of their niece, Sheryl Bragg and family of Carmel. Howard was predeceased by his wife, parents; and sister, Edna Crosby Sargent. The family expresses their appreciation to Barbara, Jaime, Reina and Carolyn for their exceptionally kind and loving care. The family welcomes friends for a gathering with reminiscing and refreshments 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 30, at Brookings-Smith Family Center, 163 Center St., Bangor. Those who wish to remember Howard in a special way may make gifts in his memory to the Ruth Crosby Scholarship, care of The University of Maine Foundation, 2 Alumni Place, Orono, ME 04469 or Ecotat Trust, P.O. Box 6233, Hermon, ME 04402-6223.