Robert Fay

Robert Fay, 71, a longtime selectman for the town of Waterboro, died May 12 at the Gosnell House in Scarborough after a brief illness.He was born in Waterboro on October 2, 1936, a son of Frederick R. and Louise (Roberts) Fay and came to Waterboro as a child. He attended local schools, was a graduate of Waterboro High School and a 1957 graduate of Portland Junior College.For almost 40 years, Bob was self-employed as a hearing aid specialist. He had also worked briefly for a couple of newspapers including the Richmond (CA) Independent.Waterboro was his passion. For approximately 30 years, he was repeatedly elected to serve on the Board of Selectmen, once as a write-in candidate. He served on countless committees and boards in town, devoting thousands of hours to these various concerns. Transparent and opinionated, one never doubted where Bob stood on any issue. His agenda was simple: to keep Waterboro Waterboro.His other passion was his grandchildren. He constantly showered them with gifts and affection, and especially awaited that spring weekend each year when Shaw's Ridge Ice Cream would open so he could share his favorite frozen treats with them. He was very imaginative and took great pleasure in simply playing with his grandchildren.Bob was very literate. He instilled the joy of reading into his children and grandchildren and established a poetry contest in town. A prolific writer, his dissertations on town affairs were frequently published in a local newspaper. He also founded and operated the Saco Valley Paper for several years in the 1980's.Bob liked to garden. He maintained flower and vegetable gardens as well as fruit bushes and trees. A baseball enthusiast, he played in the Twilight League some years ago, and coached baseball at the Little League, Babe Ruth and Senior Babe Ruth levels. He was also very active in the Waterboro High School Alumni Association.His family noted that although he was opinionated, he was very civic minded, compassionate and generous to the extreme. A humble man, he gave, and then gave some more, rejecting materialism.He was predeceased by a grandson, Derek Fay in 1999.Survivors include his son, Duane Fay, his wife Pamela and their children Darien and Devon of Waterboro, his daughter, Terry-Jo Fay of Standish, a sister, Sylvia Haley and her husband John of Saco, a brother, Fred Fay and his wife Judith of Waterboro, and several nieces and nephews.Relatives and friends are invited to call on Thursday from 5-8 PM at the Carll-Heald & Black Funeral Home, 580 Main Street, Springvale. A memorial service will be held at the funeral home on Friday at 10 AM with Pastor Charles Storey officiating.Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider the Derek K. Fay Scholarship Fund, c/o Sandy Tibbets, MSAD 57, 86 West Road, Waterboro, ME 04087. To send the family a note of condolence, please click on the Condolences tab at left.