Colin Leroy Groves

On February 18th, 2023 we said goodbye to the man, the myth, the legend, the one and only Colin “Cole-man” Groves . Cole-man was larger than life; he was stubborn, a wild man, and lived life on his own terms. He was always the life of the party; you’d catch him singing and dancing, wiggling his hips. Born April 16, 1955, in Jersey City, NJ, he moved to Maine as a young boy. He was a proud man and worked hard his entire life, building his Cole-man’s Concrete empire.

He loved his friends but he loved his family even more. To be loved by him was a fierce love, a tough and protective love. He made everyone around him feel as though they were the only one there. He took intense pride in his three daughters and their families, Cassie and Matthew Christie, Molly and TJ Donovan, and Nicole Jane Groves, as well as his grandchildren, Bennett and Nora Christie, Lila, Lainey and Lucas Donovan, and Mille Oliver. He taught his daughters to be strong women: to be the most hardworking one out there and take care of the ones you love and the ones in need. He’d give the shirt off his back to anyone and was generous to a fault. There are hundreds, if not thousands of times he’d help a friend or buy a round of beers for the bar. His bear hugs and kisses are famous, as were his Kawolski claw and wet willies. He was loud and lived to make those around him smile, often by telling a dirty joke. He loved camping at Moose Pond Campground with his sister Jane and family. He could drink beer with the best of them and played a mean game of Skip-Bo and cribbage. He had two passions: racing, especially at Oxford Plains speedway, and his American flag Harley Davidson. He would be over the moon to know he shares the day of his death with his idol, Dale Earnhardt.

He is survived by his fiancé, Kelly MacGregor and their dog Lucy; his mother, Mary Moulton; his sisters Jane Burbank and Vicky Verrill; his brothers Randy Groves and Raymond Groves III; and a large extended network of nieces, nephews, and family and friends. He was predeceased by his daughter, Lacy Jane Groves; his father, Raymond Groves, Jr.; his sister Rosemary Allderige; and his brother Scott Groves.

He will be buried at Oakdale Cemetery in Otisfield, Maine and a celebration of life will be announced at a later date.