Paul B. Thorndike

Paul Bayley Thorndike

Paul Thorndike died unexpectedly on Wednesday Sept. 13, 2006, in Camden, ME.

Paul was born in Ravenna, Ohio on September 13, 1929, as America teetered on the brink of the Great Depression. Being raised during that depression helped form some of the key aspects of Paul's character, those of ingenuity and perseverance which he expressed in his ability to make the most of what he had available and to extend the useful life of tools or equipment. Along with his friendly nature and the joyful optimism that he maintained in spite of those depressing times, these characteristics are what his friends and family may remember most.

He was raised in Camden, Maine and other towns throughout New England, but as an adult he eventually settled in Southington, Ohio where he built his own home and raised his family. Yet it was for the coastal Camden area that he maintained a life-long love, where his family shared a long history and where he spent much of his final years. He attended schools in Camden and Bridgeton, ME and graduated from Roger Ludlowe HS in Fairfield, CT. After high school, he served in the US Navy as a radio operator, and in 1953 he began a marriage with Mary Lee Anderson that lasted nearly 50 years until her passing in 2003. He worked several years as a radio/electrical technician, many of which were with the Ohio State Highway Patrol. For a period of time, he and his wife owned and operated a restaurant, London Boy Fish & Chips on Elm Road in Warren, OH. In the early 80s, he completed a degree in Electro-mechanical Engineering from Kent State University. He concluded his career working for Republic Steel from which he retired.

Thorndike was a lover of sailing and canoeing and when not amongst friends or family he found himself most at home on the water or in the solitude of nature. When he drowned while boating on Megunticook Lake in Camden, he passed on in the embrace of the lake that he loved and which he called "a piece of heaven". He was a member of the Megunticook Watershed Association, The First Church of Christ Scientist in Boston, MA and its Branch Church in Warren, Ohio, where he had served as First Reader. He also served his community as the Scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 70 in Southington and as a clarinetist with a community band. He enjoyed classical and cultural music and practiced his skill in other arts like that of gardening and of repairing all things.

Paul is survived by his five sons and daughters-in-law: Christopher and Sandra of Austintown, OH; Timothy and Beverly of Cleveland, OH; Jonathan and Ruby of Warren, OH; David and Kimberly of Garrettsville, OH; and Philip and Sara of St. Louis, MO, as well as by his grandchildren Rebecca, Elizabeth, Lezlie, Robert, Daniel, Kynslie, and Owen. He is also survived by his siblings Helen Remick of Exeter, NH and Allston of Millford, CT and was preceded in death by his wife Mary Lee and his siblings William and Harriet.

A lakeside twilight memorial ceremony with floating luminaria was held Sept. 16 in his memory at his family's waterfront camp in Camden. A separate memorial service will be held on Sat. Sept. 23 at 7:00PM at McFarland & Son Funeral Home, 271 N Park Ave, Warren, OH.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in the name of Paul B. Thorndike to: Megunticook Watershed Association, c/o Ken Bailey, P.O. Box 443, Camden, Maine 04843.

Please visit www.mcfarlandfuneral.com to see this obituary and send condolences.