Robert J. Raymond

Robert J. Raymond, 55, died unexpectedly at his home in Land O Lakes, Fla., on Sunday, May 8, 2011.

Mr. Raymond was born June 18, 1956, in Biddeford to Ernest and Jennie (Paradis) Raymond.

His earliest years were spent in Scarborough and he attended St. Louis Home, where his father, Ernest, was caretaker for many years. He finished his freshman and sophomore years at Scarborough High School. It was in the fields and woods of Scarborough that he developed his everlasting love of the outdoors.

In 1972, he moved with his parents and siblings to Biddeford, where he graduated from Biddeford High School in 1974. While in high school, he played in his first band, Quick Silver. Mr. Raymond was an accomplished, self-taught musician and singer who played guitar, keyboard and drums. His favorite instrument was the guitar, which he continued to play until his death.

He married young and moved to Springvale. He was a creative carpenter and craftsman, and built his family home where he and Julie raised two daughters, Karrilee and Hannah. He was a devoted father who nurtured and loved his children greatly.

Mr. Raymond worked at Pratt Whitney Aircraft in South Berwick, where he was an aircraft machinist for 26 years.

In the 1990s, he built his own home at Horn Pond in Acton where he fished, boated, swam, rode an ATV and played horseshoes.

In 2005, he lost his daughter, Hannah. He subsequently moved to Florida, where he resided until his death.

He is survived by his daughter Karrilee Raymond of California; his mother, Jennie Raymond,  his sister, Patricia St. Pierre, and brother, Bryan Raymond, all of Biddeford; his sisters Christine Redlon and her husband, Ernie, of Kennebunk and Ella Raymond of Cortez, Colo.; and several nieces and nephews.

A celebration of his life will be held 11 a.m. Saturday at 6 Pinewood Circle, Biddeford.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to: Biddeford High School, c/o Vicki Salo, treasurer, music department, 20 Maplewood Ave., Biddeford, ME 04005.

Bonnie Jane Bouffard

Bonnie J. Bouffard, 68, of Old Orchard Beach, died Sunday, June 12, 2011, at Southern Maine Medical Center in Biddeford.

She was born Oct. 13, 1942, in Escanaba, Mich., to Cecil and Viola Seymour Steede. She was educated in Michigan schools.

On Oct. 30, 1965, she married Richard J. Bouffard in Detroit, Mich. They moved to Saco in 1966.

She was employed by Maremont Corp./Saco Defense for 20 years.

She enjoyed working on the computer and most recently researching movies. She was an avid reader, had a great love for cats and was an accomplished artist who enjoyed recreating fantasy art. Most of all, she loved to spend time with her family.

Mrs. Bouffard was a parishioner of St. Margaret Church, Good Shepherd Parish, in Old Orchard Beach.

She was preceded in death by one brother, Wayne Steede.

Survivors include her husband of 45 years, Richard, of Old Orchard Beach; her son, Dennis J. Bouffard of Biddeford; one daughter, Michelle L. Bouffard of Belmont, Mass.; two brothers, Gary Steede and Gerald Steede, both of Michigan; her sister, Arlene Steede Pepin of Michigan; and several nieces and nephews.

Arrangements were by Cote Funeral Home, Saco.

Thayer A. McCain

Thayer A. McCain, 62, of Saco, died Friday, June 10, 2011.

Mr. McCain had hopes for many more years with his friends and family. Colon cancer took him early. His life ended at Gosnell Memorial Hospice House in Scarborough, where on a recent sun-drenched day he sat in a bed outside as his grandchildren alternately romped around and snuggled with him.

For 62 years he shared his gentle, compassionate love with many people and followed his curiosity and moral compass into purposeful endeavors.

Whether logging with his draft horses in the 1970s or helping elders maintain their independence in recent years, his ingenuity surfaced often in his exploration of life. His years at Haverford College in Pennsylvania, with its Quaker philosophy, reinforced his desire to work toward a more just and peaceful world.   

His senior thesis on the social biology of bees reflected a lifelong love of the natural world. After graduation, his years as a homesteader reinforced his conservationist nature and connection to the land.

He was born Oct. 12, 1948, in Kansas City, Mo., to the Rev. Samuel N. McCain and Martha Addison McCain. For much of the 1950s the family lived in Kauai, Hawaii, and he returned several times over the years to reconnect with Hawaiian friends and support efforts to rebuild the island’s traditions, culture and ecology.

After graduating from Haverford College in Pennsylvania he settled in Deerfield, N.H., with his wife, Terry Lochhead, and soon their son, Jesse, joined them. He built a cabin, still standing today, using tenacity, recycled wood and Ken Kern’s The Owner-Built Home. The couple lived off the land, with chickens, goats, garden vegetables and buckets of water hauled up from the well and he learned to be a logger attuned to sustainable forest management.

His skidder left no tire ruts in the woods, only hoof prints. He and his beloved draft horse Bailey made a solid team.

“By patronizing supermarkets less, we cast our vote against excessive packaging and empty foods,” he told a New Hampshire newspaper in 1972, several decades before that idea gained popular appeal.

“By not earning much money, we pay minimum federal taxes, and so cast our vote against our country’s aggression in Southeast Asia. We’ve got a lot of strong feelings about the condition of the world today and we’re searching for alternatives ... Living out here helps us to see some of these alternatives.”

The family moved to Canterbury, N.H., in 1979, where with friends and family he built a house with experimental passive-solar elements and continued work in forest management and his first daughter, Jill, joined the family.

A few years later he met and later married Nancy Brook and moved to Cambridge, Mass. He enrolled at Tufts University and graduated from its Boston School of Occupational Therapy. He advocated for gay and lesbian visibility within the field of occupational therapy.

In 1999, Mr. McCain founded Thriving At Home, an occupational therapy service for elders striving to maintain independence in their homes. He built a reputation for developing practical solutions reflecting Yankee ingenuity and resourcefulness, together with deep compassion for clients who came to realize they did not need to be ensnared by their age or disabilities.

Shortly after Martin Luther King Day three years ago, he watched a public television program on the Tourmaline Hospice Singers in Vermont and immediately e-mailed to his church choral director. He planted the seeds for what is now the Harbour Singers Hospice Choir. The a capella singing group travels to nursing homes and hospices to bring comfort to patients with bedside sings, including to Mr. McCain during his final days at the hospice.

Mr. McCain was a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Saco and Biddeford.

Survivors include his wife, Nancy; two daughters, Jill Santiago and Jessie Levoy; one son, Jesse McCain; four grandchildren; brothers Mark and David McCain; and sisters Helen and Margot McCain and Leslie Kaynor.

A private ceremony will be held in June, and in September a Celebration of Life service will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Saco and Biddeford.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Saco and Biddeford, the Harbour Singers Hospice Choir and Gosnell Memorial Hospice House in Scarborough. A bench in Mr. McCain’s memory will be placed in Horton’s Woods, off Buxton Road in Saco as a place for quiet reflection. Memories of Mr. McCin can be left at www.thayermccain.com.

Ruth J. Merrill

Ruth J. Merrill, 93, of Hampton, N.H., died Thursday, June 9, 2011, at Portsmouth Regional Hospital, surrounded by her family.

She was born March 12, 1918, in Livermore Falls, to James Almond and Emily Rose Phillips and was educated in Livermore Falls schools.

On Aug. 22, 1936, she married Herman C. Merrill in Livermore Falls. He died Feb. 25, 1996.

Mrs. Merrill worked five years at Pepperell Co. in Biddeford, nine years at Village General Store in Goodwin’s Mills, 10 years at Pine Point Manor in Scarborough and several years at Sweetser Home in Saco.

She previously lived in Old Orchard Beach from 1942 to 1967, in Dayton from 1967 to 2002 and in Hampton, N.H., from 2003 to 2011.

She was a member of the Lyman-Dayton Lion’s Club and recipient of the Melvin Jones Fellow Award. She was an avid Red Sox fan and enjoyed bowling and playing Bingo.

In 1983 she spent the summer at the Brunswick Theater at Bowdoin College in Brunswick with her granddaughter, Stacy Merrill Newman, who played the lead role in “Annie.”

She was preceded in death by her son, Herman C. Merrill Jr. in 1999; a sister, Olive Phillips in 1927; brother, Myron Phillips in 2003; and grandson Steven Merrill in 2009.

Survivors include two sons, Blaine Merrill of Alfred and Gary Merrill and his wife, Michelle, of Hampton, N.H., with whom she resided; one daughter, Sandra Mullett, and her husband, Robert, of Biddeford; one brother, James Phillips, and his wife, Norma, of Fayette; one  sister-in-law, Joanne E. Merrill of East Haddam, Conn.; 12 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren, 12 great-great-grandchildren, several nieces and nephews.

Arrangements were by Hope Memorial Chapel, Biddeford.

Concepcion Ruiz

Concepcion “Connie” Ruiz, 81, of Ocean Park, died at her home Wednesday, June 8, 2011.

She was born Sept. 8, 1929, in Havana, Cuba, the youngest of 10 children born to Petronila Ruiz.

She moved in 1960 from Cuba to Bronx, N.Y., where she attended cosmetology school and worked as a hairdresser for many years. She earned her U.S. citizenship in 1973.

In 1975 she relocated to Nashua, N.H., to work at several manufacturing companies, including Brockway/Owens-Illinois for many years. She retired to Ocean Park in 1992 to be closer to her daughter.

She was a devoted mother and helped raise her grandsons. She enjoyed crafts and crochet. She loved cooking Cuban food and rarely missed her favorite television show, “Judge Judy.”

She was preceded in death by seven siblings.

Survivors include her daughter, Jackie U. Center and her husband, John, of Saco; two sisters, Josefina Munoz and her husband, Cruz, of Orlando, Fla., and Maria Antonia Ruiz of Cuba; two grandsons and a niece.

Arrangements were by Hope Memorial Chapel, Biddeford.

Stanley E. Lane Jr.

Stanley E. Lane Jr., 58, of Saco, died Wednesday, June 8, 2011, at his residence.

He was born Aug. 23, 1952, in Biddeford to Stanley E. Sr. and Meribah Roberts Lane. He was a 1970 Thornton Academy graduate.

He worked in the band Sweet Grease after high school and played in several bands while working at Erebus, New England Music, Chess King and The Men’s Shop. He later worked at Nike where he became a computer programmer and then as a programmer analyst at Damart in New Hampshire.

For the last several years he was employed by Kennebunk Savings Bank and played guitar with JCW Experiment at Kerryman Pub.

He is remembered as an unassuming man with a great sense of humor, strong love of family and a loyal friend.

Survivors include his wife, Carol; daughter Angie and her husband, Ben Cook; sister Janet Guignard; two nieces and three nephews.

Arrangements were by Cote Funeral Home, Saco.

David B. Devine

David B. Devine, 57, of Lyman, died unexpectedly Wednesday, June 8, 2011, at Southern Maine Medical Center.

He was born March 10, 1954, in Norwood, Mass., to John J. and Genevieve Broderick Devine. He was educated in Norwood, Mass., schools and was a 1972 Norwood High School graduate.

On May 3, 1985, he married Judy Beaulieu in Biddeford.

Mr. Devine worked seven years at Shape Inc. of Biddeford and last worked 23 years at Corning Life Sciences in Kennebunk.

He was an avid Boston sports fan and loyal Grateful Dead fan. He enjoyed playing cribbage and hanging out with family at Humarock Beach in Scituate, Mass.

He was predeceased by his sister, Mary Virginia Gallagher of Norwood, Mass.

Survivors include his wife of 26 years of Lyman; two sons, Daniel and Jonathan Devine, both of Lyman; two brothers, John J. Devine and his wife, Susanne, of Hermosa Beach, Calif., and Stephen Devine of Orlando, Fla.; three sisters, Jean Gore of Acton, Mass., Susan Souther and her husband, Channing, of Scituate, Mass., and Nancy Devine of Boston.

Arrangements were by Hope Memorial Chapel, Biddeford.

Madeline T. Tibbetts

Madeline T. Tibbetts, 85, of Biddeford, died Wednesday, June 8, 2011, at Evergreen Manor in Saco.

She was born March 11, 1926, in Biddeford to Louis and Clara Rousselle Gendron and was educated in Biddeford schools.

On Nov. 11, 1948, she married Herbert “Red” A. Tibbetts at St. Joseph Church in Biddeford.

Mrs. Tibbetts worked a few years in area shoe shops.

She was preceded in death by her daughter, Sandra D. Tibbetts, in 1952; one brother and four sisters.

Survivors include her husband of 62 years of Biddeford; two sons, Herbert J. Tibbetts and his partner, Patricia Michel, of Portland and Mark P. Tibbetts of Biddeford; three daughters, Madeleine J. Poirier and her husband, Donald, of Port St. Lucie, Fla., Rolande M. Ruel and husband, Renald, of Biddeford and Doris M. Kelley of Biddeford; one brother, Paul C. Gendron of Scarborough; seven grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Arrangements were by Hope Memorial Chapel,  Biddeford.

Pauline T.  Belair

Pauline T. Belair, 80, of Wells and formerly of Biddeford, died Tuesday, June 7, 2011, at Gosnell Memorial Hospice House in Scarborough, surrounded by her three daughters.

She was born June 10, 1930, in Saco to Henry and Helen Morin Provencal and was educated in Biddeford schools.

On Sept. 24, 1949, she married Gerald “Roger” Belair, at St. Andre Church in Biddeford. He died Feb. 3, 2002.

She started work by lobstering with her father at Hills Beach. She worked 12 years as a chef at St. Francis College in Biddeford and then 30 years at Fairchild/National Semiconductor Co. in South Portland until she retired in 1995.

She enjoyed doing arts and crafts at home, traveling, reading and gardening. She especially loved the company of her grandchildren.

She was predeceased by five brothers and sisters.

Survivors include three daughters, Paula Standley of Wells, Janet Caron and her husband, Robert, of Lyman and Lisa Brown-Lewis and her husband, James, of Biddeford; one sister, Vivian Ouellette of Ocean Park; seven grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, several nieces and nephews.

Arrangements were by Hope Memorial Chapel, Biddeford.

Andrew A. Kuehl

Andrew A. Kuehl, 55, of Old Orchard Beach and formerly of Warren, died Saturday, June 2, 2011, at Maine Medical Center in Portland.

He was born in Tarrytown, N.Y., to the Rev. H. August Kuehl, rector emeritus of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Barrington, R.I., and the late Gloria Markwood (Harp) Kuehl.

He graduated from St. Andrew’s School in Barrington, R.I., where he was captain of the soccer team. He was active in many sports as a player and coach in the Bristol Youth Soccer Association. He served in the Navy as a sonar specialist on mine sweepers from 1980 to 1987.

He most recently was employed as maintenance supervisor at Tom Bayley’s Resort Village in Scarborough. Survivors include his three children, Jessica, Jamie and Ryan Kuehl of Warren; four grandchildren; two sisters, Karen Kuehl Lester of Deer Isle and Deborah Lee Kuehl of Livonia, N.Y.; one brother, David Kuehl of Vera Cruz, Mexico; two stepsisters, Holly Hickok Lang of Wisconsin and Kimberly Hickok Smith of Nairobi, Kenya; and a stepbrother, Thomas Hickok of Alexandria, Va.

Arrangements were by Smith-Mason Funeral Home of  Riverside, R.I.