WATERVILLE – Earle Bessey Jr., 90, died Nov. 28, 2008. Born in Zanesville, Ohio, to Earle Bessey and Alice (Dow) Bessey of Brooks, he was the youngest of three sons. Each summer Earle’s mother drove her family from Ohio to Brooks, a three-day journey in those days, to spend the summer with family. They returned to Maine permanently in 1934. He graduated from the University of Maine Forestry School in 1939. While at the university he was president of Phi Eta Kappa fraternity. After graduation he worked in Princeton for Dead River Co. In 1942 he married the love of his life, Susanne (Rose) Bessey of Brooks, before being called up into the Army. He was a first lieutenant in the Army, being posted to the Philippines in the waning days of World War II. He returned to Maine in 1946 to run E.D. Bessey & Son, a forest products company originally started by his grandfather, which prospered under Earle’s direction. Earle’s life was characterized by quiet, unassuming leadership throughout his 90 years. He was a devoted husband and father, and he believed in the duty of service to his community. He was a faithful member of First Congregational Church, Waterville, and was active in guiding its relocation from downtown to its Eustis Parkway site. During the 1950s and 1960s he was a regular member of the church’s minstrel show. He was awarded the Boy Scouts Silver Beaver Award for his many years as a board member for the Pine Tree Council. He served on the board of Waterville Savings Bank, later Peoples Heritage Bank. He was a lifelong Kiwanian. He served as chair of Waterville United Way. He served his profession in many capacities, being a lifelong member of Society of American Foresters, a founding member and director of Maine Forest Products Council, a former chair of the policy committee of the American Pulpwood Association Northeast Division and a member of the Forest Research Advisory Committee at the University of Maine. The defining qualities of Earle’s personal and business life were generosity, warmth and patience. He was known as a gentleman, who was true to his word and honorable in all his endeavors. His word was his bond; a handshake was as good as a contract. He often said, “You can’t put a price tag on good will.” During the last years of his life, Earle suffered a debilitating neuropathy in his legs, which severely limited his mobility. He faced that adversity with his characteristic good nature and did his best to maintain an active life. Earle and Susanne enjoyed a very active and fulfilling social life in central Maine. Longtime members of Waterville Country Club, they enjoyed golf from the beginning to the end of each season. They spent every summer since 1949 on Great Pond. They loved skiing at Sugarloaf with local friends and with the Washingtonians, a group with which they skied every year in the Alps or the American West. For many years he led early morning aerobics classes at the YMCA. They also enjoyed annual trips with their close friends, Mary and Dr. Earle Davis, traveling to all of the continents, except Antarctica. They spent 10 winters in southern Arizona, which they explored with their inexhaustible enthusiasm for new experiences. Earle is survived by his wife of 66 years, Susanne; a son, “Chip” Bessey and his wife, Bette Jane, of Waterville; a daughter, Camilla Thompson and her husband, Dr. Paul Thompson, of Simsbury, Conn.; a son, David and his wife, “Kitty,” of Upper Montclair, N.J.; as well as 11 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. The family wishes to note the very thoughtful and professional care given to Earle by the staffs at Maine General Medical Center, Health Reach Hospice, Lakewood Manor Nursing Home and Park Residences/The Woodlands. Visiting hours were held 3-6 p.m. Sunday at Redington Funeral Home, Park Street, Waterville. A memorial service will be held 11 a.m. Monday, Dec. 1, at First Congregational Church, Eustis Parkway, Waterville. Gifts in Earle’s memory may be made to First Congregational Church or Earle D. Bessey Jr. Memorial Scholarship at the University of Maine Foundation, Two Alumni Place, Orono, ME 04469.
EARLE D. BESSEY JR.
