1944 – 2016

MECHANIC FALLS — Charles (Charlie) W. Crabtree Sr., 72, of Mechanic Falls passed away unexpectedly Wednesday, Dec. 21. Charlie was a devoted dad and grandfather who enjoyed spending time with his family. He was very much loved by his family and friends, and was well-respected and liked in the community.

Throughout his life, Charlie always enjoyed helping people. Not surprisingly, when Charlie passed he was volunteering his time assisting friends. We are told that he was happy and cheerful right to the end.

As many people have observed, “Charlie passed away while doing what he loved: helping others.”

Charlie also loved working outdoors, tending to his garden and yard, and building almost anything. He built homes, garages and sheds; fixed and rebuilt cars, tractors and bulldozers; and cleared and developed land to build his home.

Charlie always enjoyed learning new things, such as installing satellite dishes, and was happy to help others make repairs or solve any mechanical problem.

Charlie was born Dec. 9, 1944, in Lewiston, a son of the late John and Beatrice (Hayden) Crabtree. He grew up and spent most of his life in Mechanic Falls, graduating from Mechanic Falls High School in 1963. Charlie served in the National Guard, and worked as an optician for more than 30 years, much of which was spent at Optometric Associates in Lewiston.

While raising his family, Charlie was an involved member of the community serving in many capacities, including building a new baseball field and hockey rink for the town, coaching for seven years on his son’s baseball teams, serving as a member of the town’s school board and Recreation Committee, and serving in the Lions Club. Charlie was humble and didn’t do things for recognition but did them because he believed they were the right thing to do.

Charlie was also a longtime and valued member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, supporting and attending various local churches over the years, most recently in Turner. Charlie even went on a mission trip to India a number of years ago with his wife, Paula, who predeceased him in 2010.

Charlie is survived by his children, Charles “Chad” Crabtree Jr. and his wife, Rebekah, of Atlanta, Ga., and Julie Roux and her husband, Francis, of Hampstead, N.H.; grandchildren, Nathan, Joshua and Carly Roux of Hampstead; two brothers, Robert Crabtree of Mechanic Falls and Talmage Crabtree and his wife, Norma, of Mechanic Falls; nieces, Cheryl Piper of Minot, Deborah Marston of Auburn; and nephew, Stephen Chase of Fryeburg; and stepsons, Herbert Thomas Glover IV and Frank Howard Glover Jr.

He was predeceased by his wife, Paula Crabtree; his parents, John and Beatrice Crabtree; his sister, Lydia Chase, and her husband, Kenneth “Jerry” Chase; and his niece, Stephanie Brown.

Charlie’s family wants to thank everyone for their love and support of Charlie and his family throughout his life, and at this time. Your kind words, thoughts and actions continue to mean a lot to us all.

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