BANGOR-- Arthur Lewis Preble Jr, 92, died peacefully at home on January 4, 2019. Those closest to him knew him as Artie or Art. He was born in Old Town, on August 8, 1926, the son of Arthur L Preble Sr and Fannie J (Davis) Preble.
Art dreamed of being a pilot at a young age and would walk the ¾ mile to DeWitts Field in Old Town when he was 15 or 16 and received flying lessons from Ken DeWitt. It is here that he earned his pilot’s license. He loved to do aeronautical tricks. Art graduated from Old Town High School in 1944. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in January of 1944 with high hopes of being a fighter pilot in WWII. He began basic training in February of 1945 and then was anticipating getting his orders for fighter pilot training when WWII ended. Because the need for fighter pilots had decreased, he finished his service in the Army Air Corps as a High Speed Radio Operator (ground to air code operator) and was honorably discharged as a Private 1st class on August 20, 1946.
After the service, Art came home to Old Town to see his high school sweetheart, Lorraine Martin. Art and his best friend, Maurice King, would ride their bikes to the Martin farm so he could “court” Lorraine. They were always joined by Lorraine’s six sisters, who were the best chaperones ever! Art and Lorraine married on August 30, 1947. During this time, Art also attended Husson College and received a degree in Business Administration. Art then worked for Phoenix Insurance Company for about two years. From there he started a long career as a credit manager, first with General Electric Credit Corp. in Bangor for 16 years and then with Diamond International Credit Corp. also in Bangor for 10 years.
Art was involved with several civic organizations. He belonged to the Old Town Jaycees and was a 32nd degree noble with the Anah Shriners Bangor. He was a long-standing member of the Old Town Rotary Club, where he served as President for the year 1984-85. Art attended Rotary meetings in a number of cities throughout the US and even in Mexico, as they traveled throughout his retirement. The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International presented Art with a Paul Harris Fellow award.
Art was a loving and devoted family man. He worked hard to provide for them. He and Lorraine were always working, as there seemed to always be something to repair, maintain or improve. Art retired from Diamond International in 1985 at the age of 59 and he and Lorraine began their retirement years RV’ing. They became “snowbirds” spending most of their winters traveling in Florida. In 1997 they bought a home in Clerbrook, Florida and met many nice friends there. They still did some traveling and have traveled to 48 out of the 50 US states, even driving their motor home to Alaska. Art and Lorraine were always together, in work and in play. In 2005 they moved from Clerbrook to Brooksville, FL where they spent approximately 8 months of the year, even becoming Floridians. They met many wonderful friends here as well and enjoyed many activities such as golfing, monthly dances and group cruises. They spent their summers at Pushaw Lake in Old Town at the log home that they designed and had built in 1990. Due to Art’s declining health with Alzheimers disease, they sold their homes and moved into Solstice Independent Senior Living in Bangor in November 2017.
Art was predeceased by his parents, his sister and her husband Margaret and Gus Donovan of Brewer, another sister and her husband Winnifred and William Lessin of Virginia, a son Ronald L Preble Sr of, at the time, Florida and Milo, Maine, brothers-in-law: Gerald Martin, Wil Martin and Maurice Martin.
Art is survived by his loving wife of 71 years, Lorraine (Martin) Preble, his two daughters and their husbands Deborah and John Rasmussen of Colorado and the Bahamas, Cynthia and Roderick O’Keefe of Old Town, and his daughter-in-law Thelma (Tink) Preble of Belfast. Also surviving are sisters-in-law: Irene Martin, Jeannette Webb, Juliette Grant, Pauline Blair, Dot Folster, Gail Johnson and brother-in-law Dick Martin. Art is also survived by 7 grandchildren: Jennifer Rasmussen of Colorado, Jessica (Rasmussen) Moore and her husband Ted of Colorado, Andrea Preble and her husband Hamilton Richards of Jackson, Maine, Ronald Jr and wife Jen Preble of Connecticut, Shana (O’Keefe) Curtis and her husband Josh of Old Town, Sarah (O’Keefe) Johnson and her husband Marc of Massachusetts, and Tyson O’Keefe and his wife Katie Lydon of South Portland. Art has also been blessed to have 9 great-grandchildren, a nephew Mike Donovan and wife Alice of Brewer and niece Laura and husband Mark Will of West Virginia.
The family wishes to extend their gratitude and sincere thanks for the support they have received from: the Veterans Administration, VNA Life Stages caregiver Michelle, Northern Light Home Health and Hospice caregiver Jen, nurse Janice and social worker Trisha, and Solstice caregivers Betty and Regina.
Friends may call 4 to 6 pm Friday January 18, 2019 at the Birmingham Funeral Home 438 Main St Old Town. A funeral service will be conducted 1:00 pm Saturday, January 19, 2019 at the Old Town United Methodist Church 726 Stillwater Ave Old Town followed by light refreshment in the fellowship hall. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions can be made to Alzheimer’s Association https://www.alz.org ; or to Old Town United Methodist Church, 726 Stillwater Ave Old Town, ME 04468 or to a charitable organization of your choice.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
v.1.8.18