Obituaries, Week of May 11, 2017

DANIEL L. SAWLIVICH

SOUTH CHINA––Daniel Sawlivich, 61, of South China, passed away Thursday, April 27, 2017, in his home following a short period of declining health. He was born on May 20, 1955, in Waterville, the youngest child of Victor and Lorette Sawlivich.

Daniel attended Waterville Schools. He married the former Tina Labbe on December 3, 1982. Dan worked many different labor trades throughout his life but spent the majority of his time, 31 years, working as a supervisor at Mid-State Machine, in  Winslow. Dan was an avid lover of the outdoors and enjoyed hunting and fishing most of all. Much of his free time was spent “Upta Camp” at his home away from home.

Dan was predeceased by his parents, Victor and Lorette Sawlivich; and a granddaughter, Teagen Partridge.

He is survived by his wife, Tina, of China; son Jason Plante, of Benton, son Rikki Plante and husband Luther Harvey, of Worcester, Massachusetts; daughter Jessica Sawlivich, of China; granddaughter Brianne Plante, of Albion; sister Cindy Huard and husband Ricky, of Benton; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.
Condolences can be sent to Dan’s family at 115 Bog Brook Rd., China ME 04358.

ELLSWORTH E. DAMON

WHITEFIELD––Ellsworth (Ellie) Ernest Damon, of Whitefield, passed away Friday, April 28, 2017, at Togus Hospice. Ellie was born in Greenville, October 5, 1921, to Ernest and Orpha Damon.

When Ellie was a very young child the family moved to the Thayer Road in Whitefield to the house that he called home for the next 90 years. Ellie was an avid gardener and the homestead flourished under his care. He grew apples, plums, blueberries, grapes and a huge garden. His root cellar was always full and the shelves in the basement were well stocked with his preserves. Ellie took pride in growing what he ate, and he loved to eat!

Ellie served his country in the army during WWII. He deployed to the European Theater until the war ended and was in the Army of Occupation after the war. He served in an armored car division as gunner and radio operator.

After the war Ellie went to work in Alaska where he first learned to fly. Ellie continued to fly for many years and owned a Piper J3 that he flew all over the state, landing in fields and snowfields as he never had a pilot’s license. He kept his plane in Dresden at the airfield of the “Flying Farmer” with whom he was great friends.

After his time in Alaska, Ellie worked various jobs, working in the woods and lumber mills, and working for Potters Pots, in Whitefield, making lobster pots. He continued to work in the woods cutting his own firewood his entire life. He was always a few years ahead on firewood and said that it was the key to a long life. At 92 he could still be found out in the woods with his John Deere B and Stihl chainsaw, head down doing what he loved.

Ellie joined the Masons in 1950 and had been a member of the Riverside Lodge #135 in Jefferson for more than 65 years.

In the late 1950s he went to work at the then young Baxter State Park where he worked as the ranger at South Branch Pond. He lived and worked at South Branch for 12 years. He helped cut some of the early trails in the park and there is still a trail there that bears his name.

After leaving Baxter, he worked on the Maine Central Railroad in Rockland where he ran the entire railroad yard. He ran the office, did maintenance on the trains, cleaned cars, greased couplings, you name it, he did it. He worked at the railroad until his retirement.

After retirement Ellie devoted the rest of his long life to the things he truly loved: working in the garden, cutting firewood for himself and others, taking hunting and fishing trips with family and friends. He had many connections around the state and loved to go on road trips with his camper. He was always invited on a moose hunt because he was a great cook as well as great outdoorsman. He loved company and always had visitors, when you visited Ellie there was always someone there with him on the porch or in the living room.

Ellie is survived by his extensive family.

FRANCES L. GOULD

WHITEFIELD­­––Frances Lula (Brann) Gould, 86, of Whitefield, passed away Sunday, April 30, 2017, at MaineGeneral Medical Center. She was born in Windsor on June 12 1930, a daughter of Delbert Brann Sr. and Inez R. (Sproul) Brann.

Frances graduated from Erskine Academy and was a proud alumnus, class of 1947.

She worked at GTE Sylvania and retired in 1988.

She was predeceased by her parents; daughters, Sally Russell and Greta Robbins; grandsons, Mark and Donald Russell; and siblings, Austin Brann, Delbert Brann Jr., Marsha Farrington, and Nina Aho.

Surviving are her husband of 65 years, Donald, of Whitefield; son, Dennis and wife Debbie, of Whitefield; brother, Freeman Brann, of Houston, Texas; sister, Betty Lou
Crocker, of Coopers Mills; grandsons, Daryl Russell and wife Marie Hellene, of Newport, North Carolina, Lane Gould and wife Jessie, of Augusta, and Lucas Gould and partner Logan Hinkley, of Whitefield; great-grandchildren, Kayleen, Kaley, Maya, Ellie and Blake; niece, Dawn Spoden, of China, as well as many other nieces, nephews and cousins.

OTHERS DEPARTED

PATRICK S. SMITH, 53, of Waterville, passed away on Sunday, April 23, 2017, from cancer, at MaineGeneral Medical Center. Locally, he is survived by his mother, Pauline Smith, of Vassalboro, and brothers Arnold P. Smith Jr. and companion Mona Allen, Troy C. Smith, and aunt Rosemay Rowe, all of Vassalboro.

FRANK LIZZOTTE JR., 89, of Waterville, passed away on Friday, April 28, 2017, at Oak Grove Nursing Hoe, in Waterville. Locally, he is survived by his children Steven Lizzotte and wife Judy, Danny Lizzotte and wife Linda, and Jeffery Lizzotte, all of Winslow, George Lizzotte and wife LeeAnn, of Sidney, and Paula Grenier, of Fairfield; and daughters-in-law, Sandy Lizzotte, of Waterville, and Roxanne Lizzotte, of China.

JANE D. CIANCHETTE, 63, of Pittsfield, passed away on Saturday, April 29, 2017, following a courageous fight with cancer. Locally, she is survived by a daughter, Darcy Latham, of Winslow.

MARIE A. PELLETIER, 77, of Canaan, on Tuesday, May 2, 2017. Locally, she is survived by granddaughter Hilary Pelletier and husband Ryan, of South China.

SADIE M. GAGNE, 92, of Waterville, passed away on Wednesday, May 3, 2017, at Oak Grove Center, in Waterville. She had been a member of MacCrillis-Rousseau VFW Post #8835, in Winslow. Locally, she is surbvived by sons, Raymond Gagne, of Waterville, Robert Gagne and wife Jan, of Oakland, and Rodney Gagne, of Waterville, and one daughter Patricia Keyes and husband Dana, of Skowhegan.