Alfred Henry Fountaine (1944 – 2015)

RANGELEY – Alfred Henry Fountaine, 71, of Rangeley, died Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2015. He passed unexpectedly in his home of a heart attack. He and his wife Doris L. Fountaine were to celebrate 25 years of marriage on Sept. 14.

Born in Gray on May 17, 1944, he and his family lived in several towns as his Dad Henry W. Fountaine worked in fish hatcheries in Cherryfield, Casco, Embden and Oquossoc.

He joined the Army early in 1962; he was honorably discharged later that year. On Feb. 24, 1963 he married Nancy Scribner of Stratton. They had two daughters. They divorced in 1984, and he married Doris (Dunham) Strout in 1990 and helped raise her three sons.

Alfred was a man of many interests, skills and abilities. Having learned auto mechanics from an early age, he moved his family of three from Rangeley to Weymouth, Mass. to work with Boston Whaler. After a couple years, Worthington Compressors hired him as their key sales and service representative for the Midwest. He moved to Spring Grove, Ill. with his wife and now two daughters. Their rock garden was populated with rock samples from quarries visited on the job. In 1978 Worthington closed its doors and Alfred moved his family back east. They lived four years in Huntington, Mass. while he worked construction, and for Sullair.

By 1982 he was back in Rangeley working as a heavy equipment mechanic for M&H Logging. He later worked several years for the state, plowing and doing road construction. In time he was skilled at fabricating parts and welding. He started Rangeley Equipment Repair, and at the time of his death, he’d been spending most of his working hours building custom rural property gates under the tongue in cheek name: Legendary Fountaine Gates. He was always excited to share about his latest innovations, and could often be found creating custom items on request.

When he wasn’t entertaining guests in his back yard or his living room, his quest for adventure often called him to the road. Sometimes it was close by, loading his family into the jeep and bounding through back roads and brush to find asparagus, or to visit friends. Sometimes they’d travel a bit further for camping or visiting friends in Wisconsin. When he was on business trips he’d tour caverns if they were close by. A biennial trip to see family back east was always full of adventure. Reunions with his siblings were about lobster, clams and corn, and singing and playing guitar around the campfire. In later years his road trips were to Pennsylvania to take his daughter to and from college, and trips with his wife to visit her son in Kentucky and to see caverns and country music’s iconic places along the way.

When he joined ranks with any membership club or cause, he was a loyal active member. He was a member of the Moose Lodge while living in Illinois. When he came back to Maine he was a member of the Masons. He was always engaged in the political process, was very patriotic, and was a long-time member of the NRA. He gave generously of himself to help advance the work and purpose of the groups he joined.

His love for country music was always with him. Between his travels to TN, his friendship with Buddy Jewel, and a one-time chance meeting in St Louis with the still little known John Denver when he got to play Denver’s guitar, Alfred always had music in his vehicles and his shop. Playing guitar was a passion, and one relative even suggested that he reminded him of Johnny Cash, a likeness that Al would have gladly welcomed!

He once collected coins, had a weakness for a nice guitar, and cats and birds were always plentiful around his house. What he really had the most of, however, was friends. He made people’s day when he waved at them, smiled at them, or stopped to tell them a joke or a story. His grin was broad, his sentiments were sincere, and his stories were plentiful!

He is survived by his wife Doris of Rangeley; his daughters Diane Simmler and her husband Fran, of Bath, and Julie Bolduc and her husband Paul of Stratton and their mother, Nancy Tate of AZ; step sons David Strout and his wife Janet of Kentucky, Milford Strout and his wife Kim, of Massachusetts, and Tracey Strout, of Colorado; his sisters, Nancy Minard and her husband Rick of Jackman, Mary Wolfe and her husband Doug, of Raymond, and his sister in law Joyce Fountaine of Jackman; 12 grandchildren, three great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

Alfred was predeceased by his parents Henry and Antoinette (Toni), his brother Robert, and a nephew.

A public memorial graveside service will be held on Sunday, Sept. 20 at 1 p.m., at Evergreen Cemetery in Rangeley, with Peter Farnworth officiating. A reception will follow at Alfred’s home on E. Carignan Road, off Pleasant Street, also in Rangeley. Those who wish to send flowers are encouraged to send perennials for the gravesite.

Tributes and condolences may be shared by visiting his memorial wall at www.wilesrc.com.

Cremation services are in the care of Wiles Remembrance Center, 137 Farmington Falls Rd., Farmington, ME 04938.