SOUTH PARIS – Murray W. “Mike” Thurston, 87, passed away on Nov. 25, at the Maine Veterans’ Home, leaving, in his words, “to be in heaven with my friends.”

Mike was born in Bethel, on March 6, 1921, the second child of Paul C. and Elsie Hall Thurston. He grew up on the Thurstonia Farm (now the Riverview Resort in Bethel). He graduated from Gould Academy and Dartmouth College (1943), completing and leaving early his senior year to enlist in the Army and participate in World War II, serving in North Africa, Sicily, Corsica, the Philippines and Japan.

Upon his return from WWII, he spent his business career as president of J.A. Thurston Co., retiring in 1986. He was very involved with the Wood Products Manufacturers Association, serving as its president in 1970, and as a board member for many years.

After retirement, he used his business skills, experience and wisdom as a mentor in SCORE. He also served as a member of the board of directors at Rumford Hospital, Maine National Bank and the Maine Turnpike Authority and was an active member and president of the Rumford Rotary Club.

He contributed much time in quiet support of many public causes, serving as a charter trustee of Gould Academy, a town of Bethel selectman and assessor, a volunteer with the Androscoggin Health Association and was an instructor with the Maine Handicapped Ski Program.

A lifelong Democrat, he spent a term as a Maine State Senator and was a delegate to the 1960 Democratic National Convention which nominated John F. Kennedy for the U.S. Presidency. This year, he received the Maine Veterans’ Public Service Award.

He was a founding member of the Bethel Area Development Council, formed in the mid- 1950s, to explore the expansion of recreational activities, particularly skiing, in the Bethel area. Resulting from that, he was particularly proud of his contribution to the origination of Sunday River Skiway, designing the original lift line, helping to build the Barker Mountain base lodge, and organizing volunteer labor to cut the first trails. He served as president of Sunday River for 10 years and was directly involved in the sale of Sunday River to the Killington Corporation.

He was recognized by the Maine Ski Association for his contribution to and positive involvement with Maine skiing and was inducted into the Maine Ski Hall of Fame in 2007. Skiing was a tremendous part of Mike’s life; he and Connie, his wife of 61 years, enjoyed more than 30 ski trips to Europe with their great friends of The Washingtonians ski club. Their travels also took them to Bermuda, Morocco, Hawaii, England and Scotland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Greece.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Connie; a sister, Rosalie T. Wight; three sons, David, John and Peter; and their respective families; and a legacy of wit, wisdom, humility, honesty and fairness.

Thanks for everything, Dad. The way you have led, we will do our best to follow.