Thomas Edwin Edes

Thomas Edwin Edes, 66, fell asleep in Lakeland Florida and woke up in Heaven on January 24, 2019. He lived life to the fullest and approached everyday as a new adventure because “Ya gotta live once to know how.” Tom lived in Bangor Maine and was a Florida Snowbird, but has called many places home. Tom was born in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine on July 6, 1952. Tom graduated from Westbrook High School where he was very involved in the music program. He was a stand-out trumpet player most known for his half time solos with the marching band which led to an opportunity to play with Don Doane and Mainly Jazz. Tom graduated high school in 1970 and pursued electrical power at Eastern Maine Vocational Technical Institute. During this time, he spent summers working on the Lander Farm in Guilford, Maine. After earning a degree in 1972, Tom moved to Guilford and began a family and “Thomas E. Edes and Son Electrical”. Tom spent time as an active member of the Guilford Volunteer Fire Department and is remembered for his speed and brawn at musters. While living and working in Massachusetts, Tom called on those skills to rescue a sleeping neighbor from his burning home. In 1986 Tom moved his family back to Maine and opened “Mom and Pop’s General Store” in Guilford and began his life known as “Pop.” After a decade of running a local store, his desire for new adventures led him to be a Ranger at Baxter State Park, then to Guilford Industries and Real Estate. Tom returned to electrical work and retired from IBEW local 1253 in 2014. Tom enjoyed life, especially outdoors. He always said he loved to ice fish, snowmobile, hike and bike when he had time. But he’d make the time to fly fish, which he could be found doing at several remote ponds in and around the Kokadjo area. Of all Tom’s adventures, the two biggest would be the time he spent piloting his Cessna 150 out of the Dover airstrip and sailing his Catalina 387, Shenanigans, out of Stockton Springs. Tom loved a good cribbage game, listening and playing music and spending time with his grandchildren. He’d often sit around the fire and say “aren’t ya glad your livin?!” He was a humble member of MENSA. Tom’s caring and giving character were defined by his involvement with the Boy Scouts, serving on multiple Tres Dias weekends and his devoted relationship with God. Tom was predeceased by his Mom and Dad, Avis Burgess and Edwin T. Edes, his sister Neen Burgess, and nephew Jonathan Stanford. He is survived by his high school sweetheart and loving wife of 15 years Laurie “Cookie” Edes of Bangor; Jerod, his son from a previous marriage, daughter-in-law Ashley of Glenburn and their children Sophie and Finnegan, who were Papa’s ultimate blessings; one sister Kitty Downs and her husband Gary of Dover; brothers Bill Edes and his wife Doris of Charleston and Bob Edes of Bangor; his Mother-in-law Louise Cookson of Westbrook; Sisters-in-Law Cheryl York and husband Bill of Durham, Vicki Rice of Frasier Park California; several nieces and nephews; his ex-wife and family friends Sherry and her husband Jim French of Guilford; his best buddy Bob Sambito of Ripley; and the countless lives he blessed. Tom wasn’t interested in having a service but rather a celebration of life. The family will be hosting a gathering to share in the life and tales of Tom in the Spring. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Tom’s name to the Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) Coalition www.multiplesystematrophy.org or Alzheimer’s Foundation of America www.alzfdn.org. We’ll miss you Diqued!