Robert 'Red' York

Published Date

Robert "Red" YorkRobert "Red" York, of Brownfield, Maine, passed away on July 21, 2012 after a lengthy battle with cancer.

He was born the fourth of seven sons to Robert E. and Minnie Ballard York on March 26, 1926 in Chatham.

As a result of a family tragedy, he and a brother, Harold, were raised in Brownfield by Ralph and Evelyn Eaton. At 17, Red left Bean Memorial High School to join the U.S. Navy where he served as an Aviation Radioman until July 1946.

In 1947 Red married Marion Lowe, of Brownfield. They moved to Portland, Maine where he attended barber school. Upon returning to Brownfield, he worked in auto sales and service at Lowe's Garage and later at Sinclair's and C.N. Brown's in Fryeburg. It was during that time that he joined the Masons, and served the Town of Brownfield as a Selectman for five terms. In later years, he would serve two terms on the Budget Committee.

Through most of the 1960s, Red applied his earlier training as a barber in Portland and Fryeburg. Next, he and Marion owned and operated Marion and Red's General Store in Brownfield. They also had an antique shop in an annex. He was also a substitute mail carrier at that time and for ten additional years after the store was sold. Eventually Red became a full time carrier out of the Cornish Post Office until his retirement in 1988.

His pastimes included fishing and hunting. Red was always anxious for the November hunt to begin. He also enjoyed team sports; baseball being his favorite. He had the opportunity to play on base teams while in the Navy and town teams in the Saco Valley League where he was an all-star pitcher. As he got older, Red's involvement in sports was as a spectator of events that his sons and grandchildren were involved with. He even assisted in coaching a Little League team in Brownfield.

Red was predeceased by his parents, the Eaton's, his wife of 63 years, brothers Merton, Leslie, Don, and Harold, and his son Charles "Chuck."

Red is survived by his son Brad, of Brownfield; brothers, Morris and wife, Marion, of Connecticut, and Fred and wife Barbara, of Cornish, Maine; his granddaughters, Kristin York, of Intervale, and Susan Knolla and husband, Michael, of Macedon, N.Y., as well as grandsons, Nathan and wife, Jenny, of Lovell, Maine, Garrett and wife, Kelsey, of Portland, Maine, and Kyle and companion, Brittany Morris, of Brownfield. Red and Marion were also very proud to be great-grandparents to Arianna Knolla, of New York, and Jack York, of Lovell, Maine.

A funeral will be held Sunday, July 29, at 3 p.m. at the Brownfield Community Church. Rev. Jim Parr will officiate. Burial will be at Pine Grove Cemetery, Brownfield. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, Northern New England Chapter, 1 Bowdoin Mill Island, Suite 300, Topsham, ME, 04086, or to the charity of one's choice.

Arrangements are under the direction of Wood Funeral Home at 9 Warren Street in Fryeburg. Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.woodfuneralhome.org.