Obituary of Charles Blakeslee Parmelee

Charles Blakeslee Parmelee, 83, of Damariscotta, passed away peacefully on July 10 in an Augusta nursing home during a thundershower, his wife and other family members by his side, with one of his screwdrivers, its handle worn smooth by years of steadfast use, in his hand. Born on April 24, 1927, in Meriden, Conn., he was the son of Samuel and Helen Kofoed Parmelee. While growing up, young "Chuck" showed a keen aptitude for all things mechanical. He soon began learning the tricks of the carpentry trade from his grandfather who educated him on woodworking techniques and the most efficient use of tools. They were skills he would refine and use the rest of his life where he was known for his insistence on doing the job right and for the craftsmanship he employed on projects in nearly every New England state. His only break from the construction business was while serving in Germany in the U.S. Army at the end of WWII. While living in Connecticut in the 1960s he was involved in HAM radio affairs and was hired by the state to oversee the installation and operation of a statewide network of Civil Defense radio stations. After moving to Maine in 1972 he settled in the Waldoboro area where in 1973 he married Joyce (Foster) Brechlin whom he met while the couple both worked at Quinlan's Building Supply in Meriden. The couple started C.B. Parmelee Inc. which soon became one of the largest contracting firms in the Midcoast area. The company built everything from takeout stands, to homes, to branch bank buildings. The firm was known for the slogan painted on its fleet of trucks "Don't trust to luck, call Chuck." Chuck's skills were not just for hire, however, as he built or remodeled several homes for himself and over the years he was the first to step up to help family members erect their own houses. While in Waldoboro he was a long-time member of the choir at the Methodist Church, a member of the town's planning board, active in local and statewide American Legion affairs, and served as a Boy Scout leader for many years. He was also active in Rotary International. After retirement, Joyce and Chuck moved from Waldoboro to a home on Dyer Long Pond in Jefferson where he pursued one of the great passions in his life, fishing. In 2001, Chuck was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. He and Joyce moved to Bar Harbor in 2005 where both became members of the Bar Harbor Congregational Church. As the dementia progressed, however, Chuck eventually required around the clock nursing home care. During the last four years he lived at Sonogee in Bar Harbor and the Maine Veterans Home in Augusta, where he was well known for his consistently cheerful nature and his eye for the ladies. He was predeceased by his brother Robert of Connecticut. Mr. Parmelee is survived by his wife of 37 years, Joyce of Damariscotta; brother, David of Connecticut; children, Earl Brechlin and wife Roxie of Bar Harbor, Dale Brechlin and wife Jane of Harper's Ferry, W.V., Patricia Lane and husband Gary of Damariscotta, and Barbara Saunders and husband Douglas of Tenant's Harbor, Mary Ellen Brechlin, wife of the late Carl Brechlin, of Meriden, Conn.; sons from his first marriage, Scott, William and Rick of Connecticut; as well as numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, donations in Mr. Parmelee's name can be made to Boy Scout Troop 142 c/o the United Methodist Church, 95 Friendship St., Waldoboro, ME 04572 or the Lincoln County Animal Shelter, 27 Atlantic Highway, Edgecomb, ME 04556. Memorial service 3 p.m., Sat., July 24 at the United Methodist Church in Waldoboro.