TURNER – Donald Edward “Tink” Kilbreth, of Turner, left this world on May 26, 2021, after a brief struggle with illness, in the great outdoors, which happened to take the form of a hospice house courtyard in Scarborough, as a Super Flower Blood Moon and its eclipse shone behind the fluffy night clouds. He had a lot of love all around him and a sacred blanket covering him.

Tink was born to Mary Etta Moore Kilbreth and Alfred Lee Kilbreth on July 3, 1934. A curious and clever boy, he REALLY loved playing baseball. (In 2015, When Sheila and Stan asked him when his love of baseball started, he answered, “Day one, I think.”) He was a gentle mentor, protector and hero to two little brothers, Laurier Vincent “Dump” Kilbreth and Stanley Dean “Pup” Kilbreth, and a little sister, Beverly “Bev” Kilbreth Therrien. He was proud of his Native American ancestry and his high cheekbones.

After pitching for Leavitt Institute and UCONN, where he pitched a no-hitter as a freshman and damn near achieved a perfect game, and playing summer ball for Cushman-Hollis, Auburn ASAS and a semi-pro team in Hartford, he entered the army as a 2nd Lieutenant. Tink traveled home to marry Jean Coumans Matthews on Dec. 29, 1956 at the First Universalist Church of Turner Center during a “hellacious” blizzard. He and his new bride spent two years at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, where he played military service baseball for the Brooke Army Medical Center Comets and weekend games for a couple of independent teams in Texas and Arizona, all the while appalled and saddened by the Jim Crow laws he saw being imposed all around him. He returned to Maine in 1959 to raise his family in his beloved hometown, where he was once again near his dear “Father” and his colorful “stories” and his dear “Ma” and her spectacular cooking and baking. To the delight of his community, he continued playing ball with the Turner Townies. More than anything, Tink loved spending time with his family – his pride and his joy – and he burst into a highly-contagious smile at the mention of any of them. That love extended to his myriad friend circles – grade school friends, college friends, Army friends, baseball friends, real estate friends, golf friends – that he collected and tended to and treated like family. Passions included, but were not limited to, babies, children, the act of sharing, playing ball, justice, Pleasant Pond, startling people (preferably in a rented gorilla suit), golf, feeding hornpout freshwater clams by hand, on or off-color jokes, spontaneity, copiously-salted comfort foods (such as baked beans), eggs over-light, skunk toast with farm butter, smelts, fiddleheads and milkweed greens, the phrase, “it’s all relative,” bargains, driving an automobile, chocolate ice cream, achieving dashing sartorial style, facilitating fun, and Bay Rum aftershave, just like his father wore. In 2015, he received the honor of his lifetime by having his athletic achievements recognized by his peers, and was inducted into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame.

Tink’s twinkling, sky blue eyes are profoundly missed by so many people, his heartbroken daughters and his honorary daughter, Dawne Marie Kilbreth-Havener, Deanna Marie Kilbreth, Darcy Marie Kilbreth James and Nadège Burnier Oliviero, sons-in-law Richard Havener, Jonathan Curtis and William James; his dear brother, Pup Kilbreth and partner JoAnne Krugar; his nine lucky grandchildren, who called him “Papa”, Abigail Jean, Elizabeth Marie, Donald “Max” Maxwell, Molly Gail, Bess Ellen, Cora Jane, Dawson Earl, Jasper Alley and Ruth Leavitt, and their spouses and partners, D.J., Andrew, Sarah, Fritz and Nick; his great-grands, Winifred June, Hazel Dawn, Marlowe Wren, Axel Tracy, Oscar Javier and two coming attractions, premiering in October; all those special nephews and nieces who got to call him “Uncle Tink”; his sister-in-law, Kitty Matthews, his brother-in-law Bob Plummer; grandnieces, great-grandnieces, grandnephews and great-grandnephews.

Tink missed terribly those who departed before him, including his parents, his sister, Bev, his brother, Dump, his parents-in-law, Doris Allen Leavitt Matthews and Walter Dawson Matthews, brothers-in-law, Clayton Leavitt Matthews and Carl Edward Matthews, sisters-in-law, Dina Lossi Kilbreth, Beverly Jones Matthews and Barbara Elaine Matthews Plummer and nephews, Andrew Kilbreth and Christopher Matthews.

Natural athlete. Natural father. Natural communicator. Natural Humanitarian. Natural appreciator of all creatures, great and small. Natural lifelong learner. Perfect Ch’i. You did good, Dad. You did good.Funeral services will be held Sunday, June 6 at 2 p.m., at First Universalist Church of Turner Center, 450 Turner Center Rd., Turner. Please wear a mask indoors, as we’ve got to be mindful of the kids and the vulnerable people. Refreshments immediately following on the Green.

In lieu of sending flowers, please consider donating to First Universalist Church of Turner Centerc/o 279 Campbell Rd.Leeds, ME 04263