David D'Ascanio

David 'Pine' D'Ascanio, 90
SOUTH CASCO -- David 'Pine' D'Ascanio of South Casco, passed peacefully May 22, 2014 at Gosnell Memorial Hospice House in Scarborough.
He was born in Portland, Jan. 13, 1924, the seventh son of Guiseppe D'Ascanio and Angelina DiFazio D'Ascanio.
David lost his mother at age 10 and he and his brothers were raised by their late sister, Mary. Educated in the Portland Schools, David learned very early on how to be independent and resourceful and taught himself many trades.
Known most of his life as 'Pine', he grew up on Walton Street in the East Deering section of Portland and was a friend to all who knew him. Drafted into the army at the age of 24, Pine served as a Company Carpenter and traveled to Okinawa, Japan during the Korean Conflict. When he returned, he met his future wife, Myrtie Allen at a dance in Portland on New Year's Eve 1949 and 'Auld Lang Syne' remains their favorite song.
A man of great strength and determination, Pine worked hard all his life with his priorities always in the right place; his family. Pine worked in and around the city of Portland on many projects such as painting the steeple of a church on Washington Avenue to building portions of the Maine Mall. Using his carpentry skills, he and his brothers, built many houses in Portland including the family home on St. George Street where he and his wife Myrtie raised two spirited young boys into fine young men. But some of the best family memories are of times spent 'at the lake' at their camp on Kettle Cove on Sebago Lake, where eventually the entire family settled and Pine enjoyed watching his four grandchildren grow. 'Grampy Duga' was notorious for building birdhouses, rabbit cages, and playing-card holders with his four beloved grandkids. He thoroughly enjoyed watching them from the dock as they played and swam in the lake for hours on end.
Pine also enjoyed his coffee and his 'coffee-mates'; the Ernies. Each and every morning, either his friend and neighbor Ernie Barile or his brother-in-law and friend Ernie Allen would drive into the driveway and beep the horn at 6:30 a.m. which was time for coffee. David was a member of the Masonic Presumpscot Lodge, No.70 in North Windham, a devotion he also shared with his brother-in-law.
In addition to his wife of 64 years, Myrtie, he is survived by son David and his wife Cindy of South Casco, son Michael and his wife Lucky of South Casco; four grandchildren, Adrienne, Network Operations Manager at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Mass., Jennifer, Certified Medical Assistant at Pediatric Associates, Lewiston, Nicholas, USCG Maritime Law Enforcement Specialist, Cape Disappointment, Wash. and Lauren, USFS Forestry Technician, Chugach National Forest, Alaska; his brothers, Louie of Connecticut, Joseph of Westbrook; and many nieces and nephews.
David's family would like to express their gratitude to all of the caregivers at New England Rehabilitation Center in Portland and Gosnell Memorial Hospice House in Scarborough that helped him through his last months journey.
A time of gathering and celebration of his life will be held from 11-3 on Saturday, May 31 at A.T. Hutchins Funeral Home, 660 Brighton Avenue, Portland. Burial will be at a later date at Brooklawn Memorial Park in Portland. To offer condolences and share memories with the family please go to www.athutchins.com
In lieu of flowers,
please consider a donation to:
The Iris Network
c/o Contributions Office
189 Park Avenue
Portland, ME 04102 or:
Presumpscot Lodge
No. 70 A.F. & A.M.
137 Albion Road
Windham, ME 04062
David 'Pine' D'Ascanio