LEWISTON – John Gravlin Jr., 77, passed away on July 13, 2013 at CMMC in Lewiston.
He was born on Nov. 18, 1935 in New Vineyard, the son of John “Jack”, Sr. And Alberta (Davis) Gravlin. He attended schools in Farmington but moved with his parents to Strong and graduated from Strong High School in 1954.
He entered the Army in 1955 and received infantry and mechanical training at Fort Dix, N.J. He was then assigned to the 6th Armoured Cavalry in Germany, where he spent one year as a mechanic. He and his regiment were transferred to Ft. Knox, KY for the duration of his active duty. He spent a total of six years in the active Army and the Army Reserves. He was honorably discharged in 1961 as a Specialist 4.
He spent his work years as a mechanic/machinest in different parts of the country. John retired in 1999 after losing his wife, Carol J. Schmidt in 1998 to the ravages of cancer. They were living in Pownal at the time. He returned to Franklin County in 2000, where he spent a few years hunting, fishing, and visiting with family and friends.
John authored a very limited edition of the genealogy of the Gravlin family. He donated one copy of “The Gravlins of New England” to the Cutler Library in Farmington. He was an avid reader, having read hundreds of books in his lifetime. He also enjoyed tying trout flies and playing cribbage.
John is survived by his two children by a previous marriage, Brian Allen and Dee Dee Lynn Holt; three grandchildren; many nieces and nephews, seven half brothers and sisters.
Donations in John’s memory may be made to the Sportmans Alliance of Maine, 205 Church Hill Rd., Augusta, ME 04330.
Memorial services will be held on Friday, July 19, 2013 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 133 Middle St., Farmington, ME. Private interment by his family will be at the Village Cemetery in Strong.
Arrangements are under the care and direction of Dan & Scott’s Cremation & Funeral Service, 488 Farmington Falls Rd., Farmington, ME 04938
I am so sorry to hear uncle Johns passing. I got to know him about 10 years ago talking about family trees and how we were related. I thought a lot of him, he would come up to my house and have coffee and we talked. He was such a wonderful person so sweet and I am going to miss him and his visits. I am so happy we got to know each other. RIP uncle John…I love you
I was good to see you again after so many years….Rest in Peace, Johnny
I got to know John at the Sears Store in Farmington..I am sad to hear of his passing..he became a regular customer of mine at the store and always came to visit me to see how I was doing every few weeks and also a friend of mine on Facebook…so sorry ….
I will miss you and our cribbage games, you will be in my prayers forever dear friend,John R.I.P.
Patricia SwallowSmart
Sorry we never got together when we were Maine. You were a great friend. I’ll never forget you.,
Dear John,
Thank you for sharing your precious memories and pictures of our Dad, Jerry Olds (who died too young) and our Mom, Monterey, when she was her happiest. You were one of the most considerate and thoughtful persons I have ever met. You will be missed ever so much. We wish you could have stayed a little longer, but God always knows best.
Always in our hearts,
Amanda Olds Bryson
When I was young Johnny was my next door neighbor in New Vineyard; then he moved away. Several years ago he was at Turner,s Barber shop in Farmington where we renewed our relationship. After that we chatted often on on meeting, most frequently at Old Ford Antiques and New Vineyard Historical meetings. I will miss his vosits visits and our talks. My sincere sympathy to his family
I’ll miss you, John. Way before we had Ancestry.com and all these genealogy research conveniences, you spent ten painstaking years tracking your family tree. You had tiny printed labels for each person in each generation, and you managed to get a professional in Canada to help you solve the mystery of a family record generations ago. Someone made a mistake, and you had the persistence to find it and correct it. You blew me away with your attention to detail and commitment. You had such knowledge and interest in so many things. You were and always will be a special person in my life. Tight lines, my friend!
My husband, Bus Allen, grew up with Johnny and knew him better than I did. We enjoyed meeting him when we came to Maine for visits. My kindest thoughts are with all of you during this sad time. “Bobbie”