STANDISH —  Calvin Frederick Grass Sr., Ph.D., 84, passed away on April 16.

He was born on Oct. 31, 1926, in Limestone, the son of Charles and Inez Gallagher Grass. He graduated from Limestone High School, joined the Navy as a pharmacist’s mate and attained advanced degrees in science education and physics. He met his wife of 60 years, Jane Robertson, while they were teachers at Madison High School.

Cal and Jane were married in 1950 and raised a family. Calvin taught at Castleton State Teacher’s College (Vt.), Ulster County Community College (N.Y.) and Gorham State Teacher’s College/University of Southern Maine. They settled at Sebago Lake, later retiring to Titusville, Fla. and finally returning to Maine.

Calvin was an amazing self-taught pianist/organist who played music as though it were a part of him; and indeed it was, as he composed more than 100 hymns and marches over the course of his lifetime. In the months before his death, he finished compiling the book “Music for the Family.”

Calvin was an active member of Sebago Lake Congregational Church and played the organ there monthly. He was a past master of Standish Masonic Lodge 70, past worthy patron of Dawn of Hope 106, OES and past worthy grand patron of the state of Maine.

Calvin was a loving husband and father. He will be sadly missed by his wife, Jane; their five children and spouses, Calvin II (Deborah) of Waynesboro, Pa., Gregory (Cheryl) of Auburn, Mass., Miriam Walker (Peter) of Sebago Lake, Elizabeth (Bruce) of South Lebanon and Rebecca of Haddon Township, N.J.; 14 treasured grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

Many thanks to the VNA homecare, staff at Mercy Hospital and Gosnell Memorial Hospice House.

To offer words of condolence, sign a guest book and share memories, go to the obituary page at www.independentdeathcare.com


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