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Philip Barker Crosby

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Philip Barker Crosby

Birth
Belfast, Waldo County, Maine, USA
Death
17 Aug 2022 (aged 91)
Belfast, Waldo County, Maine, USA
Burial
Belfast, Waldo County, Maine, USA Add to Map
Plot
Section 1946 Range I Lot 22
Memorial ID
View Source
Philip Barker Crosby passed away peacefully Aug. 17, 2022.

Phil was born April 20, 1931, the son of Philip Barker Crosby Sr. and Bernice (Chellis) Crosby, in Belfast, Maine.

Phil grew up in Belfast and graduated from Crosby High School in 1949, a well lettered-athlete and president of his class. Phil graduated from Tufts University with a B.A. in economics, and in later years earned his Master's in guidance at University of Southern Maine, certificate of advanced studies in school administration at the University of Maine, and superintendent of schools certification.

Phil was devoted to his wife, Judy, to whom he was married for 67 years. They met while he was a student at Tufts University, married in 1955 in San Juan, Puerto Rico when he was stationed there in the US Army, and returned to Belfast where their first daughter, Jayne was born, followed by daughters, Jan, and Karen. Phil ran the family car dealership Philip B. Crosby Inc., Dodge-Plymouth, for many years before hitting his stride as a school administrator, including principalships and superintendency for rural school districts in Jonesport, Island Falls, and Harmony, Maine. During his career in education, he also taught at Stearns High School, serving there as department chairman and coaching the boys ski team to the Class D championship. He was appointed president of the Washington County Principals Association and, later, president of the Aroostook County Principals Association and also was a CEED instructor at Husson College and an Apprenticeship instructor at Great Northern Paper Co.

Phil had an amazing love for his home community and dedicated many years to helping Belfast be a better place to live. He served on the MSAD No. 34 Board of Directors, which oversaw the building of Belfast Area High School in the 1960s. While serving as chair of the board, he championed the construction of the high school swimming pool, so all kids in his seaside town and in the area could learn to swim. And in the 1970s,

Phil led a group of local fathers to cut, clear, and groom the three trails that became El Depot Ski Slope, to provide local children a place to ski and learn to ski. He named it "El Depot," a Spanish word for gathering places.

Phil's commitment to his community extended to local government as a past Belfast city councilor who always took the time to listen to local citizens and ensured that the City served them. He also served as chair of the Belfast Planning Board. Further, he was an active member of the Lions Club and past president and participated in many community-service projects into his eighties. He was a trustee of The First Church. And he devoted time to the Deborah Lincoln House, serving as a board member and acting as an interim manager. He became famous for taking the resident ladies out for drives in his Model T, a very popular outing for them.

Phil had many interests and continually pursued new projects throughout his life. As a teenager he rebuilt a Model T, turning it into the legendary Leaping Lena, a bucking and water spouting crowd pleaser at the Broiler Festival Parade and many area parades over the years, eventually donating it to the City of Belfast. He restored many vehicles over the years, one of his final projects being another Model T in which he loved to give rides to family and his grand- and great-grandchildren. He built the beloved family camp, an A-frame, on Pitcher Pond.

In his retirement, Phil and Judy enjoyed many happy years of travel, traveling in Europe four times and to Mexico, as well as visiting 26 Caribbean Islands; among these travels were many visits to their beloved Puerto Rico. Phil was a "Civil War Buff" belonging to local Civil War Roundtable groups and making many trips to follow the Civil War trail with Judy. Phil was a social guy and will long be remembered for his love of family and friends, including his Zoom Coffee Crowd buddies and Saturday morning coffees at Weaver's Roadside.

Phil is survived by his three daughters, Jayne Crosby Giles and husband, Mike, Jan Banks and fiancé, Lou Dublin, and Karen Mehorter and husband, Sam; four grandchildren, Loring Giles and partner, Kristen Seaman, Mallory Harnden and husband, Ryan, Claire Banks and fiancé, Bradley Gee, and James Mehorter and wife, Jessica; four great-grandchildren, Randall and Regan Harnden, and Kalliope and Jasper Mehorter; cousins Jeffrey Pearson and Debra Bryant; a sister-in-law Linda Collins and her husband, Terry, and two nephews, Timothy Collins and wife, Susan and family, and Andrew Collins, all of Rockport, Mass.

A celebration of life service will be held Friday, Sept. 2 at 11 a.m., at the First Church in Belfast UCC.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Waldo County YMCA, 157 Waldo Avenue, Belfast, Maine 04915, or The First Church in Belfast UCC, 8 Court St., Belfast, Maine 04915.

Condolences may be shared at longfuneralhomecamden.com. Arrangements are with the Long Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 9 Mountain St., Camden.
Philip Barker Crosby passed away peacefully Aug. 17, 2022.

Phil was born April 20, 1931, the son of Philip Barker Crosby Sr. and Bernice (Chellis) Crosby, in Belfast, Maine.

Phil grew up in Belfast and graduated from Crosby High School in 1949, a well lettered-athlete and president of his class. Phil graduated from Tufts University with a B.A. in economics, and in later years earned his Master's in guidance at University of Southern Maine, certificate of advanced studies in school administration at the University of Maine, and superintendent of schools certification.

Phil was devoted to his wife, Judy, to whom he was married for 67 years. They met while he was a student at Tufts University, married in 1955 in San Juan, Puerto Rico when he was stationed there in the US Army, and returned to Belfast where their first daughter, Jayne was born, followed by daughters, Jan, and Karen. Phil ran the family car dealership Philip B. Crosby Inc., Dodge-Plymouth, for many years before hitting his stride as a school administrator, including principalships and superintendency for rural school districts in Jonesport, Island Falls, and Harmony, Maine. During his career in education, he also taught at Stearns High School, serving there as department chairman and coaching the boys ski team to the Class D championship. He was appointed president of the Washington County Principals Association and, later, president of the Aroostook County Principals Association and also was a CEED instructor at Husson College and an Apprenticeship instructor at Great Northern Paper Co.

Phil had an amazing love for his home community and dedicated many years to helping Belfast be a better place to live. He served on the MSAD No. 34 Board of Directors, which oversaw the building of Belfast Area High School in the 1960s. While serving as chair of the board, he championed the construction of the high school swimming pool, so all kids in his seaside town and in the area could learn to swim. And in the 1970s,

Phil led a group of local fathers to cut, clear, and groom the three trails that became El Depot Ski Slope, to provide local children a place to ski and learn to ski. He named it "El Depot," a Spanish word for gathering places.

Phil's commitment to his community extended to local government as a past Belfast city councilor who always took the time to listen to local citizens and ensured that the City served them. He also served as chair of the Belfast Planning Board. Further, he was an active member of the Lions Club and past president and participated in many community-service projects into his eighties. He was a trustee of The First Church. And he devoted time to the Deborah Lincoln House, serving as a board member and acting as an interim manager. He became famous for taking the resident ladies out for drives in his Model T, a very popular outing for them.

Phil had many interests and continually pursued new projects throughout his life. As a teenager he rebuilt a Model T, turning it into the legendary Leaping Lena, a bucking and water spouting crowd pleaser at the Broiler Festival Parade and many area parades over the years, eventually donating it to the City of Belfast. He restored many vehicles over the years, one of his final projects being another Model T in which he loved to give rides to family and his grand- and great-grandchildren. He built the beloved family camp, an A-frame, on Pitcher Pond.

In his retirement, Phil and Judy enjoyed many happy years of travel, traveling in Europe four times and to Mexico, as well as visiting 26 Caribbean Islands; among these travels were many visits to their beloved Puerto Rico. Phil was a "Civil War Buff" belonging to local Civil War Roundtable groups and making many trips to follow the Civil War trail with Judy. Phil was a social guy and will long be remembered for his love of family and friends, including his Zoom Coffee Crowd buddies and Saturday morning coffees at Weaver's Roadside.

Phil is survived by his three daughters, Jayne Crosby Giles and husband, Mike, Jan Banks and fiancé, Lou Dublin, and Karen Mehorter and husband, Sam; four grandchildren, Loring Giles and partner, Kristen Seaman, Mallory Harnden and husband, Ryan, Claire Banks and fiancé, Bradley Gee, and James Mehorter and wife, Jessica; four great-grandchildren, Randall and Regan Harnden, and Kalliope and Jasper Mehorter; cousins Jeffrey Pearson and Debra Bryant; a sister-in-law Linda Collins and her husband, Terry, and two nephews, Timothy Collins and wife, Susan and family, and Andrew Collins, all of Rockport, Mass.

A celebration of life service will be held Friday, Sept. 2 at 11 a.m., at the First Church in Belfast UCC.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Waldo County YMCA, 157 Waldo Avenue, Belfast, Maine 04915, or The First Church in Belfast UCC, 8 Court St., Belfast, Maine 04915.

Condolences may be shared at longfuneralhomecamden.com. Arrangements are with the Long Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 9 Mountain St., Camden.


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