LEWISTON – Richard Lee Hoddinott Jr., 55, longtime Wayne Resident, died at Central Maine Medical Center on Tuesday, March 10.

He was born on Jan. 25, 1954, in Summit, N.J., son of Richard and Miriam Hoddinott. Spending his early years in Green Village his family then moved to Richmond, Va., where he attended Benedictine High School. All of his childhood summers were spent at the family camp in Wayne. After graduating from University of Maine at Orono with his degree in education, he made Wayne his permanent residence.

Rick first taught at Hodgkins School in Augusta beginning in 1977. His bigger-than-life personality guided his sixth-grade classes through the magical world of science. Later on in his career, he also taught at Wilton and Livermore Falls middle schools. His knowledge and positive energy affected myriad students throughout his career.

One of the founding fathers of the whitewater rafting industry in Maine. He began as a guide for Maine Whitewater in the late 1970s. Shortly after, he started his own company, Downeast Whitewater, based in The Forks.

Realizing the importance of the outdoors to Maine’s youth, he helped to create Adventure Bound, a whitewater company specializing in rafting, rock climbing and other outdoor adventures focusing on teens and families. In the mid-1990s, he owned and operated Mt. Abram ski area in Locke Mills.

He was an outdoorsman in every aspect of his life. From scuba diving to owning and flying his own plane; from rafting the Colorado River to sailing off the shores of Puerto Rico; from hunting in the North Maine woods to hiking Mt. Katahdin; the outdoors was his playground.

He leaves behind two daughters, Erika Paige and Avery Nicole; his sister, Martha and her husband, Tom Wells; two nephews, Max and Lucas; his mother, Moo; and his dog, Bode.