Patrick Claude Pelletier

FORT KENT - Patrick Claude Pelletier, died peacefully March 5, 2015 at a Fort Kent Health Care Facility. He was born in Fort Kent September 1, 1934, the son of Patrick D. and Bertha (Daigle ) Pelletier.

He is survived by his wife Rachel Charron, his sister Eloise Daigle and husband James. He is also survived by many special sister-in-law and brothers-in-law and countless wonderful nieces and nephews.

After his training in the service Pat came back to Maine to assist his dad with the family owned business "Acadia Motors" the Ford garage in Madawaska. In 1964, he received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Husson College.

Then in 1966 he proceeded to work for the State of Maine as an Auditor. Along with so many others Pat was one of the pioneers to get the Fort Kent Ski Tow up and running. He became a member of the ski patrol, served on the board of directors and later as their treasurer for 10 years. In the winter of 1975-76 he received an award for the service rendered to the Lonesome Pine Trails Inc. He was also a member of the Fort Kent X-Country trails, and enjoyed grooming the Violette Settlement trails. Snowmobiling with his friends was very special to him.

Patrick loved snow. Alpine Skiing was probably his biggest passion and Mount St. Anne became his second home. Big snow storms or not, he took great pleasure in cleaning his yard and spending that extra time outside.

He was very enthusiastic when US Biathlon Facility and trails came to light in Fort Kent. He volunteered his help whenever it was needed, and when the World Cup Biathlon Event was upon us, he enjoyed being one of the many officials in the trails.

Patrick also got involved in the Dog Sled Races and was more than happy to pitch in as one of the numerous security agents they needed during the races on Main street.

In the late 50's Patrick joined the Madawaska Lions Club. When he moved to Fort Kent in the 60's, he became a member of the Fort Kent Lion's Club. He loved to participate in the numerous activities the club got involved in. He provided much laughter as one of the participants in the Fort Kent Lions Show. He played various roles in many skits. He loved making people laugh. Probably the one he enjoyed the most was the character he played as "Rosalie" in the TiJoe and Rosalie skits.

Patrick had many past times. In the mid 60"s he won the St. John Valley Table Ping Pong Championship. Being a man of all season's, Fall brought something extra special to him. While preparing his camper for the hunting season he could not get it in the woods fast enough. He was simply overjoyed to go hunting with his relatives and friends in his beloved Allagash.

In 1969 Patrick was involved in the planning of the Fort Kent Centennial. Among other things he served as the manager of the Fort Kent Centennial store. In 1969 an award of merit was presented to Pat in their appreciation of an outstanding contribution to the Fort Kent Centennial Organization.

For a few years Patrick was a volunteer in the "Caravan Program" which involved driving people to and from medical appointments throughout Maine and New Brunswick. For 12 years Pat was a volunteer at the Fort Kent Federal Credit Union. He served on the Board and later became Chairman of the Supervisory Committee. In 2003 he received the Volunteer of the Year Award.

As the Fort Kent Golf Course came to life, Pat became a charter member. For years he got involved in the numerous activities of the club. He served as a Director on the board for many years, then as President. On May 27, 1970, he scored the first hole in one in the history of the Fort Kent Golf Course. Much to his delight he added three more in later years.

Pat was a member of the 3rd Degree of the Fort Kent Knights of Columbus Council # 1934. He served as their Treasurer for 17 years. Upon retiring as a State of Maine Employee in 1991, he devoted most of his time enjoying outdoor activities and sports with his family and friends. He took pride in taking care of his lawn. Besides the frequent rounds of golf, he loved spending time at the camper in Birch Haven. Nothing would please him more than riding friends, relatives and kids in his boat on Eagle Lake. He loved water-skiing, especially on his slalom ski. He got to be quite comfortable on his wind surfing board.

His great joy was to teach young 10 & 12 year old kids to water ski. He was very patient and dedicated to them. Once in a while one of them would quit on him, only to come back later and ready to start over. Related or not, these kids called him Uncle Pat.

Pat had a zest for life. He totally enjoyed family gatherings and parties, the bigger the better. He was a gentle soul that loved people. Though he lived at Cross Winds in Fort Kent for just a little over 3 months, he managed to touch many lives there. His wit and sense of humor made many of the care givers in that facility laugh. Even though he was somewhat cheated and his memory often failed him in the last few years, a lot of good memories kept flashing back to him and he enjoyed sharing them with the people he loved.

The world is certainly a better place because he was in it. As he rests in peace, he will be dearly missed by many.

Friends may call May 8, from 6 to 8 pm and May 9, 8am untill time of service at the Daigle Funeral Home, Fort Kent, A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated 10 am Saturday May 9 at the St. Louis Catholic Church, Fort Kent.

Those who wish in Pat's memory may donate to the Alzheimer's Association, Maine Chapter, 383 US Route One, Suite 2U, Scarborough, ME 04074. or to Cross Winds Activities Fund, 40 Village Road, Fort Kent, Me. 04743, or to the Hospice of Aroostook, 14 Access Highway, Caribou, ME 04736.