OLD TOWN – Thomas “Tom” Russell Ketchen Sr., 80, died peacefully Tuesday, May 21, 2013.
Tom grew up in Old Town and married his childhood sweetheart, Rose (Young). He was a proud Korean War veteran who served in the U.S. Navy aboard the U.S.S. New Jersey. During this time his growing family lived in Connecticut then moved to Massachusetts where he became the proprietor of many businesses including a ski resort-horseback riding stable and a seafood restaurant. Later in life, he worked for many years as a superintendent for a commercial fence and guardrail company. Upon his retirement, he moved back to Old Town and spent his spare time in his workshop building furniture and learning the art of woodworking.
He is survived by his beloved wife of more than 60 years, Rose Christie; children, Thomas Jr.”Rusty” and his long-time companion, Kim Logsdon, of New Hampshire, David and wife, Donna, of Old Town, Mark and wife, Deb, of Merrimac, Mass., Peter and wife, Sharon, of Groveland, Mass., Susan (Carvell) and husband, Stan, of Scarborough and James “Jamie” and wife, Lisa, of Salisbury, Mass. Tom also leaves behind his grandchildren, Michael Ketchen and fiancée, Hannah, T.J. “Teeg” of Haverhill Mass., and Josh and wife, Kayleigh Ketchen, of New Market, N.H., Michael Quinney and wife, Debbie, of Old Town, Neil Vincent of South Boston, Mass., Elizabeth Ireland and companion, Mike, of Old Town, Jason Ketchen and wife, Amy, of Milford, Mark Ketchen Jr. of Merrimac, Mass., Christine Ketchen and Katie Ketchen of South Lake Tahoe, Calif., Lindsey Ketchen of Haverhill, Mass., Jen Miller and husband, Mike, of South Lake Tahoe, Calif., Steven, Destiny, Adam and Jillian Ketchen of Northborough, Mass., Jared and Jordan Greenlaw of Vero Beach, Fla., Raquel Greenlaw-Dishner and husband, Aaron, of Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Nathan and Sara Carvell of Scarborough, and Jamie, Danny and Kurtis Ketchen of Salisbury, Mass.; great-grandchildren, Zackary and Zoey Ireland, Samantha Cousins, Kaia Dishner and Gavin and Jackson Ketchen; and many special nieces and nephews. Tom was predeceased by two children, son, Michael; daughter, Christie; four brothers, Edmund, Willis, Harold and Reginold; mother, Olive Gray; and a very special aunt, Susie.
A gathering of friends and family will be held 1 p.m. Saturday, June 1, at Birmingham Funeral Home, 438 Main St., Old Town, with services afterward at 2 p.m. Burial with military honors will be at St. Joseph Cemetery. Notes of condolences may be left at www.birminghamfuneralhome.com.