Bud Knight

Portland - Oland “Bud” Knight Jr., 75, of Cumberland Center, died Monday, January 30, 2012 at Maine Medical Center in Portland, ME. He was born on July 29, 1936, the only child of Mildred (Carleton) and Oland Knight Sr. Bud spent his childhood in West Falmouth and North Yarmouth. He was active in the Grange and FFA. He graduated from Greely Institute in 1954 and attended Portland Junior College. Bud married Elizabeth “Betty” Bragg in Cumberland Ctr. on August 11, 1956; they bought a house on Farwell Ave. in 1958, raised their three children and enjoyed 44 years of marriage until her death in August 2000.

In 1951 Bud began working as a mechanic (summers and weekends) at Cushman’s Bakery in Portland where his father was a production manager. Bud enlisted in the Coast Guard at age 19, served four years then remained in the Reserves from 1960 to 1986. He was an Engineman – E5 Chief MKC and served on the Cutter Duane, Cowslip and Yankton as well as the Nantucket Lightship.

Bud left Cushman’s in 1968 to begin a career working with commercial/industrial Cleaver Brooks Boilers. He traveled Maine and NH servicing boilers. During the summers he would take Betty and the kids along and they would stay in their camper at jobsites ranging from a lumberyard in Ashland to the parking lot at Bar Harbor High School, or factories and mills all over the state. Bud later became Service Manager and Parts Manager retiring from Northeast Mechanical Sales Corp. of South Portland in 1998.

Bud had many hobbies but mostly enjoyed sharing them with his family, his companion Eleanor and his vast number of friends. In the 70’s the family attended many stock car races at Oxford Plains Speedway and Bud became a fan of NASCAR racing. For several years, he went to the races in Loudon, NH with Cindy, Rob and Tyler.

Anyone who knew Bud was aware that his camp on Thompson Lake in Otisfield was a refuge where he enjoyed boating. He was “Gump” to many…the nickname given him by his grandchildren. He especially enjoyed time spent with his son’s family 4-wheeling in North Yarmouth. He was a good sport and had a unique sense of humor. During the Cumberland Fair he always managed to give the grandkids a ride or two on a golf cart, 4-wheeler or tractor.

Bud was active in many organizations. In the 1960’s he made several lifelong friends through a CB Radio Club. He was a past member of the Cumberland Jaycees, Lions Club, Moonlight Sno-Skimmers snowmobile club, National Street Rod Association and had 50 years membership in the Masonic Lodge in 2009. Bud was also a member of the Cumberland Farmer’s Club, Cumberland Fire Department, Cumberland Historical Society, Down East Street Rod Club and Cumberland Congregational Church. Bud had been involved over 50 years with the Cumberland Fire Dept. - beginning in high school, later marrying the Fire Chief’s daughter. He was Captain of Engine One for many years and enjoyed the monthly supper meetings.

He enjoyed tinkering with engines, tractors and of course his old cars and helped his grandson Andy restore a 1949 Ford 8N tractor. Many happy memories were made when Bud & Betty would attend Street Rod meets in his 1933 Ford Sedan Delivery “Thumper” and her 1933 Ford Pickup truck “Betty Boop”. They attended national meets in York, PA; Columbus, OH and Memphis, TN. He passed on his love for cars to his kids.

Since retirement, Bud enjoyed going on wrecker calls with the crew from Copp Motors or hanging out there “supervising”. Bud was a frequent patron of Cole Farms Restaurant and enjoyed the company of the friends he made at “the counter”. He would always take some leftovers with him to share with Lucy, a Wheaton Terrier who was the love of his life. Bud would often visit Royal River Boat Yard to check on his grandson’s lobstering or other boat projects.

Since Thanksgiving Bud was not able to drive and it was very hard for him to just sit at home. He was a social guy who went for “coffee” every weekday morning at the home of friends, George and Carolyn Small. They were kind enough to pick him up and drive him to their home so he wouldn’t miss their daily visits. Bud made hundreds of lifelong friendships and passed on the value of good friendship to his children and grandchildren. He was a prankster his whole life which resulted in many cherished stories and “Gump–isms”.

After various surgeries involving his heart, Bud began attending the Turning Point program in Scarborough where he would exercise three mornings a week. Bud made some incredible connections and friendships at Turning Point and really missed those folks when he was forced to stop attending. He told his daughter that he felt the program helped to extend his quality of life the past few years and he hoped to go back when he was well. He spoke fondly of his friends at Turning Point and was grateful for their calls and notes while he was away.

Bud is survived by his three children: Cynthia Sherwood (Bob), Deborah Dugas, and Robert Knight (Andrea); his grandchildren: Adam Dews & wife Amber, Emily St. Thomas & John, Tyler Knight, Aria Knight, Andy Dugas, Molly Dugas and Jake Dugas;

his great-grandchildren: Eva and Oliver Dews; his long-time companion Eleanor Andersen, her family and dog Lucy; along with several cousins and a multitude of friends.

Visiting hours will be on Sunday Feb 5 from 2 - 4 pm at Lindquist Funeral Home, One Mayberry Lane, Yarmouth. The funeral service will be on Monday Feb 6 at 1:00 pm at the Congregational Church in Cumberland, UCC, 202 Main Street, Cumberland with Rev. Diane Bennecamper officiating. A reception will follow in the church hall. Burial will be in Moss Side Cemetery in the spring. Please visit www.lindquistfuneralhome.com to view a video collage of Bud’s life and to share your condolences, memories and tributes with his family.

For those who wish to make donations in Bud’s memory, the family suggests:

Cumberland Fire Department, c/o Chief Daniel Small, 366 Tuttle Road, Cumberland, ME 04021 or American Heart Association, 51 US Route 1, Scarborough, ME 04074.