DIXFIELD — Harland Ashley Parlin, died May 17.

Most of you know me as Harley. I live on a beautiful old farm in Dixfield with my wife, Kit, whom I wedded on that farm nearly 18 glorious years ago. In that nature-filled setting, I have lived a life few are privileged to know, in which the memories of each day have always exceeded the last. I’d like to share a bit of that life with you. I am proud to say that I count family members among my very best friends; each a memory imprinted on my heart; my Kitty, my son, Dana, and my daughters Jess and Jen; my sisters, Sandy and Mel; and my brothers, Jerry, Rod, Randy, Ronnie, Kelly and Raymond; my grandchildren Alisha, Courtney, Katie, Josh and Mallory, and 23 nieces and nephews. I thank my wife for bringing into my life her parents, Isabelle and Howard, and brother Wes. I am in hopes that a man’s life is measured by the number of true friends he has, for I have been blessed with many who enriched my life immeasurably.

Eldest of nine children of Ash and Lib, I hold dear the memories of growing up in Kingfield; playing, fishing, hunting, and visiting with cousins. As I grew from instigator to arbitrator, words of the Boy Scout Law, “Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean and Reverent,” became the code by which I strive to live. At 12, I saved for and purchased my first guitar. My father showed me the basic chords and inspired me to practice. As the Twigsnappers, mom and dad played country music around the state, while a couple of my brothers and I formed the Parlin Brothers Band.

A weapons specialist and U.S. Air Force Sergeant after high school, I later held positions in engineering and metallurgy, which challenged my insatiable curiosity. I learned stone masonry by tending for Dad. Together and separately, we designed and built many a chimney and fireplace. A humor all its own is a well-known Parlin trait. Though I dabbled in drawings and watercolor and illustrated on the backs of restaurant placemats, an outlet for that humor was the “Inklings” comic strip, published in The Franklin Journal for a decade. Fly fishing and hunting around western Maine provided endless fodder for my strips, featuring the exploits of real life uncles Lloyd and Floyd. Years in the shoe industry honed my talents in leatherwork and provided the springboard to my own business of BootHill Case Company. I love my workshop, where attention to the smallest detail is paid equally to a leather bracelet for a grandchild or a 100-year-old case for a treasured gun. With the encouragement of stock maker, David Trevallion, I designed and built custom wood and leather-covered cases, eventually specializing in repair and refurbishment of antique British shotgun cases. If I could not find the piece of machinery, I would build it from scratch. If I could not find the tool I needed, I would fashion one. Dedicated to making every case look better than the customer could ever imagine, I have been most gratified and rewarded by their words of high praise. BootHill Cases and the firearms for which they were created have been featured in several collecting and sporting publications. Beyond the recognition and those very kind words, I forged unforgettable relationships with men of character and grace, to whom it was an honor to lend my talents.

What I enjoy most of all is daily life on the farm, where the moments of ordinary days become extraordinary when shared with the one you love most in life; where just being together is the most important thing in the world. With Kit by my side every single day, I did everything I could to survive my scheduled surgery and to hold onto that life, but it just wasn’t to be. I want to thank the personnel at Mass General for their compassion, expertise and dedication. To my dearest friends and family, I hope you will love and embrace life as I have done and that mention of my name will always bring a smile and a favorite story. To my lady and my forever love, “Just once in a lifetime…” It was not by chance.

As many of you know, one of the highlights of the year for me has always been the annual Nile-Parlin reunion held on the farm. For this year’s Aug. 21 reunion, friends are invited to join the family at 1 p.m. on that Saturday for a celebration of my time here on earth with you. Wear your picnicking clothes, load the guitars and ready the tractor.