JOSEPH A. COFFIN

BREWER – Joseph A. Coffin, 93, husband of the late M. Priscilla (Brooks) Coffin, died March 25, 2008, at a Bangor health care center. He was born Sept. 22, 1914, in Machias, the son of Grover K. and Effie (Holmes) Coffin. He was a graduate of Machias High School, Maine Central Institute and attended Washington State Normal School. He was employed by the U.S. Engineers on the Passamaquoddy Dam project during the Roosevelt administration. He worked as a sales representative for Shell Oil Co. for 15 years, then owned and operated Coffin’s Shell Service, Brewer. At this time, he became director and past chairman of the board of Bangor Savings & Loan Association of Bangor. Joe then became involved in house building with partner, Hugh P. Elliott and land development with partner, Albert E. Pillsbury. He was then in the employ of H.M. Payson Investment bankers of Portland until semi-retirement in 1977. Active in civic affairs, he was a past member of Brewer Personnel Board and 100th Anniversary Committee. He was a member and past president of Brewer Economic Development Corp., which owned and completely developed Brewer East-West Industrial Park. He was a trustee of Brewer Water District and a member of Brewer Assessment Review Board. Coffin Avenue in East-West Industrial Park, Coffin Fishery on the Brewer Bank of the famous Bangor Salmon Pool and Coffin Field, Brewer, one of the finest softball fields in the state of Maine, which he helped make available, were dedicated in his honor. Joe was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II and a former member of the American Legion, member and treasurer of Brewer Club, former member of Brewer Kiwanis Club. He was an ardent outdoorsman and a longtime member and past president of Penobscot County Conservation Assoc. He was also interested in gardening and was a member and past treasurer of Penobscot County Extension Service. Mr. Coffin was a 50-year veteran of the Boy Scouts of America, a member of Scouting Heritage Society and a recipient of the coveted Sil-ver Beaver Award. He was an active member of St. Teresa’s Parish Council and became its first president and served as the church’s first Eucharistic minister. Joe had a long affilia-tion with St. Joseph Hospital and St. Joseph Healthcare Foundation being a trustee and past treasurer of both organiza-tions. He was treasurer and fourth degree member and past financial secretary of Third De-gree Knights of Columbus. Surviving are five children, Mary Patricia Kelley and her husband, Bedford, of Brewer, John B. and his wife, Sandy, of Rutland, Vt., Joseph A. Jr. and his wife, Cathy, of Hampden, Donald R. of Boca Grande, Fla. and Richard M. and his wife, Sue, of Bangor; 14 grandchil-dren, Christopher Kelley and his wife, Elaine, of Land-O-Lakes, Fla., Kimberly Duke and her husband, Donald, of Tampa, Fla., Matthew Coffin of Rutland, Vt., Nathan Coffin of California, Ryan Coffin and his wife, Marcie, of Orrington, Erin Guimond and her husband, Jarrod, of Hampden, Joseph III of Bangor, and Joshua Coffin of Hampden, Corey Coffin and his fianc?, Bobby Meserve, of Portsmouth, N.H., Casey Coffin of Glenburn, Cathy Jo Schureman and her husband, Jamie, of Glenburn, Daniel Coffin of Lincoln, Kaitlin Coffin of Malden, Mass., and Nicho-las Coffin of Bangor; five great-grandchildren; a very special sister-in-law, Marion Coffin of Machias. Joe was predeceased by his wife of 61 years; a son, Grover K. Coffin; two brothers, Julian and Donald Coffin; and three sisters, Margaret Ward, Marian Foster and Mary Bailey. Friends may call 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Thursday at Kiley & Foley Funeral Service, 69 State St., Brewer. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated 11 a.m. Friday at St. Teresa’s Catholic Church, Brewer, with the Rev. Robert Vaillancourt, pastor, celebrant. A time of continued fellowship will be immediately afterward at the parish center. Burial will be at Longfellow Cemetery, Ma-chias. For those who wish, memorial contributions may be made to St. Joseph Health-care, Development Dept., P.O. Box 1638, Bangor 04402-1638 or to the Penobscot Conserva-tion Assoc., PO Box 605, Brewer, ME 04412. Condo-lences may be offered to the family at www.kileyandfoley.com.