Roberta Ann (Rutherford) Skaling

BRUNSWICK – Roberta Ann (Rutherford) Skaling, 77, passed away on March 28, 2023 at Maine Medical Center in Portland after a serious fall at home. Following a 17-day stay at the hospital with several operations and complications from a confused and unpredictable immune system that followed her throughout life, she died peacefully with her husband at her side. Robbie was born on April 27, 1945 in Baltimore, Md. to John and Lona (Bills) Rutherford.

Robbie grew up in Baltimore, Md., Grand Rapids, Mich. and Brunswick. She graduated from Brunswick High School in 1963. After high school she attended the University of Maine, Orono where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.

Robbie married Dr. Thomas Skaling in 1967 in Basking Ridge, N.J. Tom had just graduated from Tufts University Dental School in 1966 and was completing his first year of military duty in the U.S. Air Force. His assigned duty was to be a traveling dentist covering three remote radar sites in eastern Maine and northern Vermont. Robbie joined him in his second and final year of completing his military service obligation. Living conditions were rather austere for Robbie (and Tom) during that year. Unable to rent an off-base apartment for two months at a time at three different bases they had to live in empty bachelor officer quarters on base. She handled the entire year with smiles and determination.

In 1968, Robbie and Tom said goodbye to the Air Force and headed back to Brunswick to begin their civilian lives. Robbie signed on as an English teacher at Brunswick High School while Tom started up his small dental practice which would continue for 40 years. Robbie’s teaching career lasted for 10 satisfying years.

They built their new home on family land on the Old Pennellville Road in Brunswick in 1970 and continue to live in that home some 53 years later. The lot was large enough for Robbie to consider trying activities she had dreamed of doing since living in urban settings for all of her young life. Her first endeavor was gardening. She signed on to the Maine Master Gardener Volunteers program, bought an old tiller and began her 53 years of gardening.

The next interest she focused on was having a dog. She bought a pair of Siberian huskies in 1970 and was so taken by the breed that over the next 44 years she would buy, raise and train 10 more Siberians. Her last Siberian died in 2014 and, after a three-year hiatus without any dog, Robbie found a new favorite breed in a Rhodesian Ridgeback hound. “Camp” has lived with Robbie and Tom for six years and has cheered Robbie onward through her later years of health issues. “Camp” will now be called on to help Tom make it through his period of loss.

Another dream she followed was to raise farm animals. From the mid-1970s through mid-1980s she raised chickens, sheep and pigs. She also had a bicycle egg-route through the neighborhood for several years.

In the late 1980s Robbie decided she wanted to go back to work, so she signed on to what would become her ideal job – working for the Sun Ray Animal Clinic. She found the work to be strenuous, but rewarding. She thought highly of her coworkers. She remained with Sun Ray through the end of the century and moved on to her final job, working as a dental assistant for Tom. They both retired together in 2007.

Going back a bit to 1990, Robbie and her husband made a decision that changed their lives considerably. They built a cabin in Upper Enchanted Township on land leased to them by then-owner, Boise Cascade. Tom had proposed a long-term study of bird population changes caused by differing forest harvesting techniques. Boise Cascade agreed with the idea and allowed Robbie and Tom to move forward with the plan. Robbie quickly fell in love with the cabin and its quiet solitude. To make time to accomplish this work, Robbie job-shared at the animal clinic with a good friend and Tom trimmed down his dental practice. That allowed them to spend every other week in camp during all seasons. Winter was the best of times with near-total isolation. The trip into camp was either six or 10 miles long depending on where winter logging was taking place. Tom would break out the trail with his snow mobile and Robbie would follow with a five-dog team and her sled. While Tom counted wintering birds, Robbie continued to train the dogs on short sledding trips. She even spent a couple of over-night outings in times of reasonable weather.

Their travel experiences brought them even closer together. Robbie insisted that any traveling she did would be in a northerly direction. Tom readily agreed. Most of their distant trips were to remote northern locations and occurred during their 50s and 60s. The factor common to all of them was that the final leg of each trip was being dropped off by a floatplane on some remote body of water and picked back up by the same plane two weeks later. The three destinations Robbie most enjoyed were the Gates of Arctic National Park in Alaska, Burnside River in Northwest Territories, Canada and Ungava Peninsula in Nunavut, Canada. Much closer to home and later in life, Robbie and Tom visited Pierce Pond Camps in western Maine often. Robbie loved the ambiance of the old cabins and the seclusion of camping on the islands on the pond. She enjoyed fishing and delighted in the calls of the loons.

For many years, especially lately, Robbie’s favorite weekly outing was Friday lunch at the Sea Dog in Topsham and, in summer, the Dolphin in Harpswell. She loved to talk, jokingly and seriously to the servers, staff and owners. They all made her feel comfortable, needed and hopeful.

Robbie was preceded in death by her parents John Rutherford and Lona (Bills) Rutherford.

Robbie is survived by her spouse, Tom of Brunswick; her brother, Dr. John (Judith) Rutherford of Stillwater Lake, Nova Scotia Canada; her nieces Katherine (Kate) Rutherford of Garson, Ontario Canada and Alexandra (Alex) Rutherford (Wade Pickren) of Toronto Canada.

I would like to offer my sincere gratitude to all of the many nurses, Care Management personnel and providers: Dr. Eric Shurtleff, Dr. Dawn Miller and Dr. Stuart Weymouth who offered their compassionate support and expertise during Robbie’s extended stay in the Trauma ICU. Dr. Weymouth was the perfect voice for dispensing precise information about Robbie’s condition, her concerns and needs.

At Robbie’s request there will be no funeral services. There will be a gathering of family and friends in September. To offer condolences and share fond memories please visit http://www.brackettfh.com to view Robbi’s online memorial.

P.S. The last three years have brought on a storm of medical issues for Robbie. Somehow she has fought back with positivity, smiles and strength. Over these last few months Robbie and I have celebrated the end of each day by sitting in front of our woodstove, watching the flames, reliving pleasant memories, while listening to our dog “Camp” gently snoring between us. We made a toast to the end of another good day with our glasses of rye. Tonight, “Camp” and I toast Robbie’s spirit. She is in a better place.

Rest well Robbie.