WAYNE – Ralph Stuart Record, 78, passed away Wednesday, June 28, 2023 at MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta. Ralph endured the challenges of Multiple Myeloma with strength and determination. In his own words, he lived “an ordinary life filled with extraordinary moments, loves, comforts and griefs”.
Ralph was born at home on Aug. 3, 1944, in Livermore Falls, the youngest child and third son of Stuart H. Record and Althea Harmon (Record) Fournier. He and his brothers made mischief and memories on their family farm, living with scarcity and softening that reality through humor and music.
He graduated from Livermore Falls High School, and in 1966 from Colby College with a B.A. in English, where he won first place in a speech writing contest with a speech about space aliens.
Ralph moved to Boston, Mass. and, after turning down a dream sports writing job at the Boston Herald, began his successful career in Information Technology – which he thought would prove better at paying bills. While his career was impressive—one highlight was leading the Y2K transition for Maine’s power grid—it was how he spent the rest of his time that was most important to Ralph.
In Boston he met his future wife, Kathy. After she accepted his third proposal, they married in 1970, and relocated to Maine. They built their home and community in Readfield and lived there for 32 years – filling that house with friends and family at every opportunity.
A childhood spent in the fields, around the bugs and birds, made Ralph a lover of the natural world. He was knowledgeable about much of Maine’s native plants, animals and insects. He kept extensive flower beds, that were seamlessly integrated into the natural landscapes of his properties. He was a lifelong casual fisherman, teaching his children to fish in the early morning on Moose Hill Pond, fishing with friends at his favorite spots around Maine, and peacefully fishing off the dock or from his johnboat at home on Wilson Pond.
Ralph enjoyed watching his children play sports in their youth and volunteered coaching peewee basketball and kept extensive statistics for the softball team. Ralph was known to spend some time on the golf course, and always looked forward to an annual trip to Cape Cod with friends for the ‘Cape Classic’, a significant event if only in their own minds. He spent years crafting the Chase Road Fens, an 18 hole whiffle ball golf course on the Readfield property that was truly a work of art and community builder.
While Ralph was not typically an enthusiastic traveler, he mustered some great distances to see his children – going to Ireland, Australia, and Hawaii – and, more suitable to him, expanded his view of the world by hosting foreign exchange students and teachers over the years. He had an open and inquisitive mind; he enjoyed learning new things and adjusting his perspectives given new information. Ralph was a gifted storyteller, and his friends and family were often the beneficiaries of his recounting a memory – always told with humor and reflection. Ralph had a quick wit and sharp sense of humor, if you could keep up.
After Ralph retired, a new family home was built in Wayne, which Kathy and Ralph designed together, for the very purpose of gathering and hosting friends and family. During his retirement, Ralph served on the Board of the Cary Memorial Library and as a co-steward for the Kennebec Land Trust’s Gott Pasture Preserve. Ralph enjoyed gardening and kept a vegetable patch, which he enlisted his grandchildren to help plant in the spring and harvest in the summer and fall. His grandchildren brought him great joy, and entertainment.
After the passing of his wife, Ralph shared his life with partner Jane Giglio who took on the role of “Mimi Jane” to the young grandchildren. Ralph and Jane enjoyed traveling to St. Simons Island, Ga. to get a break from winter, took a memorable trip to Alaska, and both shared a love of gardening and being with friends.
Ralph is survived by his daughter, Emily and husband Carroll Lane, of West Hartford, Conn. and their two children, Eliza and Susanna; his son, Nicholas Record and wife Christine Selman of Boothbay, and their two children, Serafina and Charles; his daughter, Bethany Record and husband Westley Corbin, of Portland, and their three children, Emmett, Cora and Iris; his partner, Jane Giglio of Wayne; his brothers David Record of Clinton and Duane Record of Plattsburg, N.Y., his sister-in-law Cheryl Colangelo and husband Ray Lillis of Niantic, Conn.; six nieces and nephews; his ‘pseudo’ daughter, Sarah and husband Gordon Holman of Portland, and their daughter Merritt.
He was predeceased by his parents; his wife, Kathleen; sister-in-law, Sue Osgood Record, and sister-in-law, Sharon Record.
The family would like to thank Dr. Nadeem at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, as well as the team at the Alfond Center for Cancer Care in Augusta.
Visiting hours will be held at Roberts Funeral Home, 62 Bowdoin St., Winthrop, on Friday, July 28, from 5 to 7 p.m. A celebration of life will be held at Willows Awake, 10 Leeds Junction Rd., Leeds, at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 29, with refreshments immediately following. Burial will be held privately for the family.
Arrangements are in the care of Roberts Funeral Home, 62 Bowdoin St., Winthrop, where memories, condolences and photos may be shared with the family at http://www.khrfuneralhomes.com.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be
made to
Kennebec Land Trust https://www.tklt.org/ or
Cary Memorial Library in Wayne: https://www.cary-memorial.lib.me.us/
https://www.sunjournal.com/2023/07/23/obituaryralph-stuart-record-2/#:~:text=WAYNE%20%E2%80%93%20Ralph%20Stuart%20Record%2C%2078,loves%2C%20comforts%20and%20griefs%E2%80%9D.