David Brown Pillsbury
March 8, 1935 ~ February 19, 2014
CAPE ELIZABETH - Devoted husband, father, grandfather, Red Sox and New York Giants fan, David Brown Pillsbury, 78, of Cape Elizabeth and South Portland passed away on February 19th at Maine Medical Center. David was born on March 8, 1935, in Manchester, New Hampshire, to the late Dan Evelyn Pillsbury. He grew up with his older sister, the late Mary Ann Shepherd, younger sister, Muriel, and his pet fox, Foxy. After his junior year of high school, the family moved to Auburn, Maine, where he graduated from Edward Little High School. He then attended Northeastern University, graduating with a business degree. He initially started a training program at IBM but soon realized that the corporate world was not for him. With the intention of devoting himself to public service as a teacher, David attended the University of Orono, majoring in history. A condensed version of his master's thesis, entitled Portland's Dream, about "the heartbreak and belated frustrations of the Grand Trunk's Portland-Island Pond (Vt.) subdivision" appeared in The Railroad Enthusiast magazine. David started his teaching career in the 1960s, working at various Portland schools before he landed at Deering High School where he taught U.S. History until his retirement in 1995. While serving as President of the Portland Teachers Association, he was instrumental in making significant change in the way public school teachers were treated. During that time, he also met Martha Ann Dyro of Portland, and they married on a blizzard-y December day in 1971. They raised their three children on Drew Road in South Portland. After retiring, David became an active advocate for retired teachers, first serving as President of the Cumberland County Retired Educators Association (CCREA) then serving as the Legislative Committee Chair for the Maine Education Association - Retired (MEA-R). In 2001, he established their first Legislative Contact Team, composed of MEA-R members matched with state senators, legislative leadership and Appropriations Committee members, which created a greater presence for MEA-R in Augusta. He also served as President of the Maine chapter of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) for a few years. David loved to travel, and he visited all 48 contiguous states over the years. He was a voracious reader of historical books, especially presidential biographies and anything about the Civil War. He would gladly offer a history lecture to anyone who would listen. He also enjoyed carpentry, gardening, playing the piano, and, after retirement, escaping the winter cold with trips to Anna Maria Island, FL, with his family. In his last few years, his grandchildren were his greatest joy. In addition to his devoted wife, Martha Pillsbury, he is survived by his daughter Marianne Pillsbury of New York City; his son David Darius Pillsbury and daughter-in-law,Marissa, of New York City; his daughter Heidianne Pillsbury, son-in-law, Eric Pinsky, and granddaughters Halston and Acadia of the San Francisco Bay Area; his sister and brother-in-law, Muriel Terry Allen of Portland; nephews Don Shepherd, Doug Shepherd, Cyrus Cramer and niece Amanda Cramer. Visiting hours will be held on Friday, February 21, 2014 from 4:00 to 7:00pm at Conroy-Tully Crawford Funeral Home, 172 State Street, Portland. A private burial will be held at Calvary Cemetery, 1461 Broadway, South Portland.In lieu of flowers donations may be made in honor of David B. Pillsbury to:Cumberland County Scholarship Fundc/o Karen Oak, TreasurerCumberland County Retired Educators Association (CCREA)345 Saco Street #47Westbrook, Maine 04092Online condolences may be expressed below.
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Martha, we want to express our sympathy for your loss and let you know that our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. God Bless
– Patty and Bob Barth