LINCOLNVILLE — John Eli Terry, of Lincolnville, passed away peacefully on March 18; he was 81. Born on February 27, 1945 in Hartford, Connecticut, he was the son of Mildred Claspill Terry and Silas Burnham Terry. He and his brother Don, four years his senior, shared a close bond and a birthday. They loved cats, books, and fast cars, and learned to sail on family trips to Lake Champlain, where they later worked during summers as teenagers.

After high school, John graduated from Yale University with a degree in physics in 1967, then earned his Master’s degree from Purdue University in 1969, among the first graduates of its Computer Science program. It was at Purdue that he met the love of his life, Michelle Hankins, whom he won over via a 25-cent tip he left on a tab, the only one of his party to do so. They married in 1971 and enjoyed 54 wonderful years together, marking every departure and return with a kiss. Together, John and Michelle built and cherished a family that loves reading, cats, hiking, and being in nature together.

John spent most of his career working in computer networking at IBM and Cincinnati Milacron. After retirement, they left their Cincinnati home of 30 years to pursue new adventures in Lincolnville, where they explored the state’s natural beauty through camping, hiking, kayaking, biking, and identifying birds, wildflowers and trees. They fell in love with the people of Maine and their neighborly spirit, finding a particular home at Belfast United Methodist Church, where they worshiped together and gave generously of their time across countless committees and projects.

John was a wonderful husband and Dad. He delighted his young kids with endless games of tickle torture, mop-top-hair-shop and piggyback rides. As they grew, he patiently helped with nightly homework, taught them how to ride bikes and drive a manual transmission, and showed them how to balance a checking account. “Terry’s Garage” was always open for business when a family car broke down, but his mechanical talents were not confined to the garage: on more than one occasion he repaired his daughters’ cars on the side of the road, once with nothing but a rubber band and duct tape. The whole family looked forward to annual vacations hiking, camping, and sailing at parks across the U.S. and Canada.

John was known for his sharp wit and maniacal puns. A lifelong learner and tinkerer, he never met a puzzle he wouldn’t try to solve. The second love of his life may have been the 1962 356B Porsche that he purchased as its second owner in 1970. Restoring the car was a lifelong labor of love, and he and Michelle delighted in 356 club rallies and activities together.

John was a man of few words, but the words he spoke mattered. He was quietly generous with his time and attention, with a special affinity for the Window Dressers, a charity dedicated to building and installing low-cost window inserts for insulation. John was never happier than when he had a cat on his lap, treating them with care and tenderness that rivaled most humans.

He is survived by his wife, Michelle; daughters Amy (Scott) Keister, Jennifer (Tony) Summers, and Bethany (Jennifer) Turrentine; grandchildren Alexander and Justin Keister, and Aren, Leo and Carolyn Summers; sisters-in-law Lori Terry, Melissa (Gary) Pearman; and numerous neighbors, friends, and church family.

There will be a memorial service followed by a reception, Saturday, March 28, 2026, at 1 p.m., at the Belfast United Methodist.

Memorial donations may be made to Windowdressers.org or Belfast UMC.

In his honor, make a terrible, witty pun and then chuckle to yourself. He would have.

Condolences and memories may be shared at www.longfuneralhomecamden.com. Arrangements are with the Long Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 9 Mountain Street, Camden.