HARRISON — Samuel “Bud” Lee Pitts Jr. (Mr. Oak), 86, passed away at his home in Harrison, Memorial Day, May 27, with his daughter by his side.

A life long resident of Harrison, he was born July 23, 1926, in North Bridgton, the son of Samuel Lee and Fannie Fae Witter Pitts. He attended grade school in Harrison and was a 1944 graduate of Bridgton Academy. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1945, and served two years, most of it in Agana, Guam.

He married Emma Hobbs of Norway in Bethel, April 30, 1948. They had three daughters.

Sam had many jobs over his lifetime. He ran his father’s portable saw mill and was manager for Ben Cohen’s Lumber Mill in Norway after which he was manager and timber buyer for Wilner’s Wood Heel Products. He trained race horses at Yonkers Raceway in New York, taking his family to winter training in Florida for three years. He was co-owner of Vacationland Campsites at Crystal Lake in Harrison with his brother, Russell and sister, Virginia. He ran the campsite from 1960 to 1971, when it was sold. In the winter of 1969, he groomed trails on the campsite property and up Hawk Mountain and opened Vacationland Ski-Mobile Area. In the early 1970s, he began making and selling pine furniture. He opened a shop in the Harrison block selling his furniture. He held Saturday night dances in the store that winter, great memories for many.

Sam married Irma Maxfield Hibbard, April 29, 1978, in their Victorian home on Main Street in Harrison. Sam converted the attached barn into a workshop and show room and began refinishing and selling oak furniture hence the name of his business, “Mr. Oak” which he ran until 2005 when he retired at age 79. He was well-known as a major dealer in New England, shipping his furniture all over the country.

In 1987, Sam and Irma and Irma’s daughter, Martha and her husband, Russ Merrill, built Maxfield Common on Front Street in Harrison. They ran it as a business complex and in 1990 sold it to the town of Harrison to be used as their town office.

Sam took great pride in the Harrison of his youth and in the Harrison of today. He had an amazing memory for names, dates and events. When he retired, he wrote stories of his youth capturing what it was like for his generation to grow up in Harrison. He video taped all the houses in Harrison village, narrating who owned each house in the ’50s and ’60s and telling a story or two along the way. Sam was a diehard Red Sox fan, posting daily who the Sox would be playing on the front of his porch. He attended many games with his daughter, Judy.

He was never happier then when his family would come for Old Home Days, Christmas in Harrison or just to come to play and swim at Crystal Lake Park. Fireworks on his back porch were a yearly family tradition. Together he and his daughter, Donna wrote the history of the Pitts family of Harrison.

For two generations of families a visit to Mr. Oak’s to see his Christmas decorations were a tradition. Sam’s last wish was to see the gazebo in Crystal Lake Park finished. In 2005, he had given a generous donation in hopes of seeing it built in order to bring summer concerts to the park. Unfortunately monies ran out and the gazebo was never completed. When the community was made aware donations came in and his grandson, Justin McIver completed construction on the gazebo. We had our first concert in honor of Sam on May 5 thanks to local musicians who made it happen. He was there to see and hear it all.

He is survived by his daughter, Donna Barker and husband, David, Judy McIver and partner, Steve Pepin, stepdaughter, Martha Merrill and husband, Russell; grandchildren, Jonathan Barker and wife, Rachel, Ryan McIver and wife, Jamie, Justin McIver and partner, Bernadette Fuller, Jennifer Ward McMorris and husband, Ken, Sarah Ward Hart and husband, Chris, Lindsey Ward Seavey and husband, Jared, Sam Merrill and wife, Alice and Meredith Merrill Frost and husband, Seth; and 10 great-grandchildren.

Bud was predeceased by his parents, Samuel and Frances Pitts; his wife, Irma; his brother, Russell; sister, Virginia; and his daughter, Katherine Patricia Pitts.

Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.oxfordhillsfuneralservices.com.