WAYNE – Ben F. Pike, 76, of Mt. Pisgah Road, died Dec. 12 at Central Maine Medical Center.

He was born in Woodland, the son of Eugene H. and Edna (Russell) Pike.

He was educated in the elementary schools of Woodland and is a graduate of Caribou High School, class of 1948. He held a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism from the University of Maine, class of 1953.

He served in the U.S. Navy from 1945 to 1947 and was assigned to the Bureau of Naval Personnel in Washington D.C.

On Aug. 2, 1951, he married the former Louise Hebert of Caribou and they had six children.

He spent several years as a news editor and radio announcer in Bangor, Portland and Houlton.

He was a Public Relations Representative for the Maine Department of Economic Development in 1956 and became Assistant Director of the Division of Recreation Promotion. In 1962, he was named Executive Secretary of the Association for Multiple Use of Maine Timberlands.

In 1965, be became Maine Public Relations Representative and rose to be New England Manager of Public Affairs for the International Paper Company. He retired in January 1989.

He was founder of the Ski Maine Association, the North Maine Woods Administrative Program and the Maine Public Relations Council.

He was: a Past Grand Knight of Canabas Council, Knights of Columbus of Gardiner; President of Livermore Falls Rotary Club; and Chairman, Board of Directors of the Maine Publicity Bureau.

He is survived by: his wife; four sons: Marty and wife, Cheryl, of Farmington, Jeffery and wife, Sherry, of Winthrop, Mathew and wife, Kelly, of Thomaston, Christopher and fiance Stephanie Uhlman of South China; two daughters, Carol Ouellette and husband, Michael, of Melbourne, Australia and Mary Freeman and husband, Jerry Jr., of Wayne; and grandchildren, Kristana Pike and friend Michael Lamoreau of Portland, Joshua Pike and fiance Sarah Horton, of Farmington, Amanda and Ashley Pike of Winthrop, Jessica Keeble and husband, Christian, of Melbourne Australia, Jonathan and Jaclyn Ouellette of Melbourne, Australia, Jordan and Chelsey Freeman of Wayne and Kashia and Trevor Wilson of Thomaston.

He is also survived by three sisters and two brothers: Elvie Bubar of Washburn, Ruby (Mrs. Herbert) Sands of Washburn, Blanch (Mrs. David) Bartlett of Carson Siding, Allen of Carmel, N.Y., and Eugene Jr. of Wilbraham, Mass.

He is pre-deceased by two brothers and two sisters: Charles Pike, Leander Pike, Bernice Parker and Pauline Thomas.

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