UNION — Milton Chase Parsons, 83, loving husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather, uncle and friend, died peacefully on Saturday, February 18, 2017 at Maine Medical Center in Portland, a few days after suffering a stroke.

“Milt,” the youngest of three boys, was born in Boston, Mass., on March 4, 1933 to Bernice and Philip Parsons. He was educated at Lexington, Mass., schools, attended Cornell University School of Animal Husbandry and graduated from UNH. He began his career in the meat business with Swift & Co. in Somerville, Mass., and then in Lyndonville, Vermont.

He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Phyllis MacLean Parsons and two brothers, Philip Parsons of Sandwich, N.H., and Douglas Parsons of Tuftonboro, N.H.; daughter Sharon Zimmermann, her husband Curtis, granddaughters Ashley and Meredith of Fox Lake, Wisc.; daughter Stephanie, her husband Stephen Schaefer, granddaughter Jessica and grandson, Chase of San Diego, Calif.; son Stuart MacLean Parsons and his partner Gwen Cory of Brighton, Mass.; son Shawn Boutwell Parsons, his wife Debra, grandsons Colin and Kyle of Luray, Va.; and sister-in-law Lila Finlay, brother-in-law Neil Jorgensen and six nieces and nephews.

Milt and Phyllis moved to Union from Lexington, Mass., in 1985 and quickly became active members of the Midcoast community. Milt’s memberships in Union Historical Society, Pioneer Grange of Union and First Universalist Church of Rockland represented only a small sampling of his wide-ranging interests, commitments and his contributions to the midcoast community.

A proud 30-year participant of the Pioneer Grange of Union, Milt served in numerous official capacities including chaplain, treasurer and president. He was always on call to work Grange suppers (with wife Phyllis providing the potluck dishes!). And, when any building emergency arose, Milt was “Johnny on the Spot” and headed out from home to fix the problem.

Union Historical Society also benefitted from this man’s generosity of time and talents. His commitment did not stop with membership or attending meetings/programs, he also served as a board member and was a willing volunteer whenever any projects or problems needed attention.

Milt’s long-term membership in the First Universalist Church in Rockland and his deep involvement there probably best shows the breadth of his interests, talents, values and integrity.

During the past 30-plus years, he served in most every capacity: board member, board president, ministerial search committee, finance and investment committee and building and grounds committee, chairing that committee many times.

He was there when there were any problems — roof leak, furnace breakdown, unplowed driveway and Milt also worked tirelessly over the years on numerous church building and grounds improvements, building renovations and expansions and on the fund-raising projects for those and general projects. The “job” Milt did that will continue in memory to bring smiles was his role as “official” coffee-hour taster.

Milt’s mother had often declared that “Milton was born a generation too late” reminding her of her own father, a fairly wealthy truck farmer in Andover, MA. In fact, Milt was often described as a “Renaissance Man” because of his wide-range of interests and his unique, no-nonsense approach to addressing problems and fixing things. He was a “doer” rather than a “discusser,” always ready with a hammer or shovel whenever there was a problem. Family and friends could regale you for hours with humorous anecdotes about that side of Milt.

A rabid Patriots fan, (as long as games weren’t on too late and the Pats were playing to their ability), he actually missed the miraculous Super Bowl comeback because it was getting late and as he said he “was disgusted with the Pats’ play for the first three quarters.”

Milt often proclaimed that Nature was his God and that was evident in almost every aspect of his life. His gardening was legendary in the Midcoast from the famous parsnips sold to local markets, to his squash and the best sweet corn around, generously shared with neighbors and friends.

He was a firm believer in all levels of nature preservation and conservation reflected by his land use philosophy and gardening techniques. And, his water, electricity and fuel saving measures are legendary.

Never a time-waster, Milt tied his own personal exercise program with recycling, biking along midcoast roads with his infamous buckets on each side of his battered bike picking up recyclables. Funds from returns were generously donated to the Unitarian-Universalist Service Committee.

Animals were always an integral part of Milt’s life. He never met a dog he didn’t love, and that love of dogs, his as well as his friends’ dogs, endeared Milt to many. Selection of a new rescue dog was always a group effort to find just that perfect match — a dog with issues that folks knew Milt could handle and help. Each dog’s devotion to Milt was inspiring.

Although moving to the Midcoast was “retirement,” Milt didn’t. He often worked with Fulton Curtis at the meat market. “Milt’s Firewood” is one of his biggest legacies. Over the years, hundreds of Midcoast residents were warm each winter and emergency deliveries and generosity were a trademark.

If Union and the Midcoast were Milt’s home, the family camp on Lake Winnipesaukee (rebuilt largely by Milt and son Stuart after fire destroyed the original in mid ‘80s), was his refuge and in many ways his true home. The natural beauty and serenity he experienced at that special place would as he often said, “recharge my batteries.”

Although not a native Mainer, Milt loved this state and he and Phyllis chose to retire here, buying property in Union where they built their home. He loved his “hometown” of Union and his Unitarian-Universalist community. For the past 30-plus years through his involvement with “all things Union” and the UUR,” Milt definitely left an indelible mark on everyone in those communities.

Milt was a man true to himself and his values — integrity, directness, humor, compassion, tolerance, honoring commitments — were evident to all who knew him from family to friends, both new and lifelong. His generosity, despite a true Yankee frugalness, was available for those down on their luck or who needed a helping hand in times of emergency. Milt’s decision to be an organ donor following his death provided one last act of generosity that benefitted perfect strangers.

A Memorial Service honoring Milt’s life was held at the Rockland Unitarian Universalist Church on Saturday, February 25. His sudden, unexpected death leaves an aching sadness in so many lives, but the ongoing gift he left is the gratitude that in some way he touched each of those lives and warm memories are forever etched in those hearts and minds.

If you wish to honor Milt’s memory in some way, you may make memorial donations in his name to: First Universalist Church of Rockland, 345 Broadway, Rockland, ME 04841 or Pope Memorial Humane Society, P.O. Box 1294, Rockland, ME 04841 or Union Historical Society, P.O. Box 154, Union ME 04862 or Pioneer Grange #219, c/o Sherrill Snowdeal, Sect/Treas, 24 Mountain Side Park, Camden, ME 04841 of Union, ME.