PENOBSCOT – Everett Edward “Ev” Leach, 62, died unexpectedly, but quietly, Oct. 12, 2011, at home. Born Oct. 23, 1948, in Castine, he was the son of the late Willis K. and Adora (Mercer) Leach of Castine.
Ev graduated from Higgins Classical Institute and worked for more than 20 years for the town of Castine. Ev was a member of Castine Fire Department, serving most recently as the captain. It didn’t matter what time or where, if there was a fire in town or out of town, when the fire phone or pager went off he was on his way. “Fire 4” I’m coming home. We all can remember some nights when the new recruits needed to spend time driving the fire truck. They all wanted to jump up in the cab with Evie. Everett enjoyed fishing and camping at East Grand Lake with his dad, and then his sister. Everyone knew that when Ev was heading up to camp the wind would blow. He’d give us fair warning though. Even when he had to make that “emergency” trip, the wind she did blow. This hunting season won’t be the same for his hunting buddies, Pat, Mike, Al, Randy, Aaron and Arthur. There weren’t too many years when he didn’t come home with a deer, even if some of them could have been a little bigger, but he got one. This year he finally got his moose permit and with the help of his friends, Dennis, Sharon, Pat and Jane, Ev got his moose just two weeks ago. Whether you were young or old, more than anything else, Everett was your friend. His friendships stretched from Castine to Singapore and beyond. Almost without exception, he always had a ready smile or kind word to share and, with a Diet Pepsi close by, was willing to help anyone that needed a hand. Everett was a charter member of the “Doghouse Crew” along with many of his fire department friends, including Lance, Lisa, Gary, Carolyn, Pat, Jane, Mike, Judy, Joe, Moose, Ted, Randy S., Peter, Tom, Paul, Mark, Dianna, Laurel and Jon to name just a few. His quick wit, humor and stories were a great source of entertainment and his practical jokes were frequent and funny.
His home-style cooking was delicious and his deviled eggs and macaroni and cheese dishes never seemed to last long at any of the gatherings. He was a past master of Hancock Lodge No. 4 AF & AM and a member of Anah Temple Shrine.
Everett is survived by his sister, Marcia Mower of Bangor.
A gathering with refreshments will be held 5-7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 24, at Mitchell-Tweedie Funeral Home, 28 Elm St., Bucksport, with words of remembrance said by Pastor Peter Remick at 6:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, those who wish may contribute in Ev’s memory to Castine Volunteer Fire Department, care of Lisa Burton, P.O. Box 602, Castine, ME 04421.