PORTLAND – William “Bill” S. Paxton, 77, local artist of Portland passed away Friday, Nov. 9, of natural causes at Maine Medical Center, Portland, surrounded by his beloved daughter, Amie and family and friends.

He was born Aug. 5, 1930, in Lewiston, the son of William G. Paxton and Winona White Paxton. Bill is survived by his daughter, Amie Paxton Owens of Macon, Ga.

Bill Paxton was born in Maine during the Depression. As early as he can remember he was always sketching, and by the time he was in high school (Bridgton Academy), he was winning contests and awards for his talent. There’s a clip from his yearbook which reads, “When artist Bill picks up his pen, we all stand at attention, for his remarks and pictures are certainly worth mention.” Bill also enjoyed ski-jumping and in his late teens he took home the medal for second highest ski-jump. Then in his early 20s, he received his certification for second-in-command flying alongside the captain in a C-46F type aircraft. One of his favorite hobbies other than painting was flying.

He decided that he should pursue art as his career but unfortunately there was no money to be earned at that time to put him through college. So he joined the Air Force in the late ’40s and in a short period of time became a front line military sketch artist, which he did for 22 years at Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins, Ga.

Upon retirement, Bill returned to his native Maine and set forth to capture the essence of Maine through brush and pallet. His acrylics and water colors of coastal, combat and transport scenes soon caught on and the accolades soon rolled in. Some of his paintings are hanging on the walls of the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. Up in his 70s, Bill still painted with a vengeance until recent health problems this year, which prevented him from doing so. He truly loved the state of Maine and all her beauty, and now his love will live on in the hearts of those who dearly loved him and admired his work. Today Bill Paxton is by far the No. 1 selling artist in Maine. His art is sold all over the world and he has become one of Maine’s true treasures. “If you own one of his paintings, I trust you consider it a true work of art from an artist with a passion to paint.”

Bill’s family would like to extend their heartfelt appreciation to all the doctors, nurse, and staff at the Maine Medical Center for their special loving care, dedication and support.

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