Peter C. MacVane

Peter C. MacVane, 61
PORTLAND -- Peter C. MacVane, 61, of Elizabeth Road, died on Dec. 5, 2012, at Gosnell Memorial Hospice House in Scarborough following a valiant battle with cancer.
He was born in Portland, the son of Ellsworth L. and Mary (Bennett) MacVane, and was a graduate of Deering High School and the University of Southern Maine.
He began playing rugby in college and played into his 40s and had many adventures with his rugby buddies.
Since 1978, he has been employed by the South Portland Police Department where he worked as Officer Friendly, court officer and a member of the motorcycle unit.
Peter was an active volunteer in many charitable organizations, including the Maine Special Olympics, the 'Cop on Top' at Harley Davidson and 'Tip a Cop' at local restaurants.
One of the original founders of the annual Lobster Dip in 1988, he was 'double-dipper' for all but the last couple years. He was awarded the American Lung Association's Dana Dutton Volunteer Excellence Award after participating in the Trek Across Maine for 14 years.
Peter was an avid outdoorsman, taking many trips around the world, but his favorite places were the national parks, especially Glacier National Park. He had climbed to the top of Mt. Rainier and hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
Kayaking, hiking, cross-country skiing and camping were year-round past-times; Peter took advantage of every opportunity to take long motorcycle rides with fellow police officers. One of his favorite trips was riding from Portland to Milwaukee in the Harley Davidson's 100th anniversary ride where he had his motorcycle helmet signed by Willie Davidson, grandson of one of the founders. He also participated for several years in the annual America's 9/11 Foundation Inc. motorcycle ride to New York, Pennsylvania and Washington.
In recent years, Peter took road trips accompanied by his constant canine companion, Juno; Peter would post pictures of Juno on the beach, in front of the White House and relaxing in the hotels.
In addition to his mother, he is survived by his wife of 34 years, Kathy L. (Hathaway) MacVane; daughter, Kelly MacVane and son Ian MacVane, both of Portland; a brother and sister-in-law, Arthur and Marcia MacVane of Gray; a special cousin, Charlene Courtemanche of Dover, N.H.; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Memorial visitation will be held from 2-5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 8, at A.T. Hutchins Funeral & Cremation Services, 660 Brighton Ave., Portland. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 9, at the Westbrook Performing Arts Center, 471 Stroudwater St., Westbrook. To offer words of condolence and share memories with the family, please go to the obituaries section at www.athutchins.com.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Peter's memory may be made to the Peter MacVane Memorial Fund to benefit Maine Special Olympics and the American Lung Association's Trek Across Maine,
Care of Evergreen Credit Union
799 Broadway
South Portland, Maine 04016
Peter C. MacVane