Richard Paul Callow Sr.

SCARBOROUGH – Richard Paul Callow Sr., 86, of Peaks Island, died Aug. 22, 2023 at the Gosnell Hospice House of complications from a lengthy struggle with dementia.

Husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, Dick passed along a steadfast work ethic and love of tinkering and creative problem solving to generations of family and friends.

A machinist by trade, Dick grew up in Dorchester Lower Mills in Boston, Mass. as the third of five siblings. He married Martha, the love of his life, in 1959, and together they started a family. After service in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves and work in the shipyards of greater Boston, Dick and Martha settled on Peaks Island, where they continued to raise their children and countless foster children, while he faithfully contributed to the vibrancy of the working waterfront in Portland.

A gregarious and affable fellow, Dick shared his passion for hunting, boating, sailing, camping, and his mechanical genius in ways that encouraged, inspired, and instructed others. Dexterous with his hands and the skill to work backwards with the solution to a problem in sight, there didn’t seem to be anything he couldn’t create or fix (except dementia!).

A natural storyteller, Dick often regaled family with mischievous tales of his childhood in the shadow of Baker’s Chocolate Factory, the quarries of Quincy, Mass., or summer days and nights of stick ball on the streets, ice cream from Hendrie’s, MBTA trolley travel, and bike riding through the halls of the local TB hospital.

Dick is survived by Martha, his wife of 64 years; and his children, Richard Jr. (Nancy), Patricia (Robert), Pamela, Michael (Anne Marie), Jennifer (Joseph), Samuel (Dusti), and Christopher; as well as numerous grandchildren; and great-grandchildren.

He was predeceased by two children, Robyn and Steven; as well as a sister, Suzanne.

A viewing and celebration of life will take place on Saturday, Aug. 26 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Jones, Rich & Barnes Funeral Home, 199 Woodford St. in Portland. Interment in the Pond Grove Cemetery on Peaks Island will be private at a later date.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at http://www.jonesrichandbarnes.com for the Callow family.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association of Maine (https://www.alz.org/maine)