FREDERICK PECCI

BATH – Frederick Pecci, 96, a resident at Hill House Assisted Living, died Monday, Oct. 6, 2008, after a brief illness. Fred was born Dec. 16, 1911, in Brockton, Mass., the son of Tito and Quinta Pecci. Fred grew up in Bath, where his father ran a fresh produce business on Center and Water streets. Fred loved to tell stories of delivering produce to the many small communities surrounding Bath. The fire department was then located on Water Street and at an early age, he had an interest in fire fighting. As a teen he was one of the first on the scene of Morse High School fire and helped rescue important records before the fire went out of control. He began working at Bath Laundry in his late teens and in 1934 he married Eva Grindle of Richmond. He added volunteer fire fighting to his other responsibilities in 1943 and also started doing tree work. He became Bath’s city arborist, a position he held for more than 50 years and was responsible for major tree planting of Bath’s streets after the devastation of the city’s elm trees by Dutch Elm Disease. In 1952 Fred left the laundry and joined Bath Fire Department, where he was promoted to captain and also became an instructor. He taught fire prevention classes and built a model house to take to the local elementary schools called House of Hazards. Fred retired from the fire department in 1972, but continued his tree work for another 20 years. During this period he worked with the newly formed Bath Forestry Committee, cataloging all the rare and unusual trees in the city. He had a love of gardening and a passion for roses, which he propagated for all his children from original bushes found on their land in Days Ferry. In 1996 a red oak tree was planted in his honor by Bath Forestry Committee in the Veterans Park, along with a memorial stone, and in 1999 he was honored by Bath City Council for his achievements. In 2005 he was awarded the Maine Arborist Association’s McKague/Maddocks Award for his lifelong dedication to arboriculture in Maine. He was also the grand marshall for the Maine Firefighters Association 100th Anniversary Parade in 2006. He was an honorary member of the retired firefighters Box 19 Club and was a member of Brunswick Seventh-day Adventist Church. He was one of the co-founders of Bath Seventh-day Adventist Church, where he served as an elder; he was instrumental in the establishing of Haskell Memorial School, Bath, Pine Tree Academy, Freeport and Parkview Adventist Medical Center, Brunswick. He was predeceased by his wife of 50 years, Eva Grindle Pecci in 1985; and his second wife, Evelyn Alexander Davis, in 2001; three children, Frederick Harold Pecci, Leilani Faith Pecci and Lorelei Faye Cronin; a grandson, Christopher Lermond; two great-grandchildren, Candy Jones and Adam Geraty; and seven of his eight siblings. Fred’s life had great impact on all who knew and loved him. His service to his God, family, community and nature are his legacy to those whose lives he touched. He is survived by his five daughters, Janice Lease and husband, Robert, of Las Vegas, Jeanne Lermond and husband, Robert, of Hampden, Leilani Ganter and husband, Kurt, of West Point, Cheryl Yeaton and husband, Herbert, of West Point and Gayla Teague and husband, Timothy, of Woolwich; 10 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. He is also survived by a brother, Paul Pecci and his wife, Phyllis, of Bath; many nieces, nephews and cousins. Visiting hours will be held 3-6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, at David E. Desmond & Son Funeral Home, 638 High St., Bath. A funeral service will be held 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 9, at Bath United Church of Christ, Congress Avenue, Bath, with full firefighter honors. Burial will be at Oak Grove Cemetery. Those who wish may make contributions in Fred’s memory to Eva Pecci Scholarship Fund, care of Pine Tree Academy, 67 Pownell Road, Freeport, ME 04032.