PITTSFIELD – Richard Lee Hallett, 63, devoted husband, son, brother and father passed from this life Sunday, Jan. 22, 2006, after a short fight with brain cancer. Rick was born Aug. 12, 1942, in Fredericton, N.B., a son of Richard N. and Elsie (Hawkins) Hallett. After undergraduate studies at the University of New Brunswick, he got his graduate degree at Gordon Divinity School in Massachusetts. While at Gordon, he married the former Shirley Leavitt of Lynn, Mass., Nov. 26, 1966. After graduating, Rick pastored churches in North Waterboro, Limerick and Pittsfield. He was the pastor of the First Baptist Church in Pittsfield for six years, until a car accident and a long recovery made him unable to serve. He continued to pastor and have services from his home every Sunday until the fall of 2005. Rick also pursued owning a small business. The Hallett’s Appliance sign was a long fixture of Somerset Avenue in Pittsfield. He made many friends traveling all over central Maine fixing everything from small appliances to church organs. His beloved hobby was flying remote controlled airplanes with the Downeast Soaring Club. He also ran a hobby shop for many years as well, but his real joy was building the planes and teaching people how to fly. He worked as contest director for many airplane contests and ‘fly-ins,’ making friends around the world in the process. He was predeceased by his father, Richard Hallett. He is survived by his wife, Shirley (Leavitt) Hallett of Pittsfield; his mother, Elsie Hallett Myshrall of Fredericton, N.B.; three children, Richard Scott Hallett of Pittsfield, Leigh Hathaway Hallett of Newport and Matthew Standish Hallett of Savannah, Ga.; a brother, Ronald and wife, Bonita; and a sister, Marilyn and husband, Watson Williams, all of Fredericton, N.B.; and a brother-in-law, the Rev. Richard Warren Leavitt and family of Salisbury, Md. A memorial service will be held 7 p.m. Thursday, at the First Baptist Church, 111 South Main St., Pittsfield. Visitation will be held at the church 3-5 p.m. Memorial donations may be made to T.H.E. Brain Trust, 186 Hampshire St. 2nd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02139-1320. This organization is devoted to improving the quality of life for people living with brain tumors. They can also be reached at www.braintrust.org. Arrangements are by Crosby & Neal, Newport. For more information or to sign an online guest book, please visit www.crosbyneal.com or you may contact the family directly at rlhallett@verizon.net
RICHARD LEE HALLETT
