Gerald E. McNear

1934 – 2010

LEEDS — Gerald E. McNear, 75, a resident of Campbell Road, Leeds, died early Sunday morning, Feb. 14, at his home.

He was born May 3, 1934 in Leeds, the son of Elmo and Bernice (Rose) McNear. He was a 1951 graduate of Leavitt Institute in Turner.

On Nov. 27, 1954 in Leeds, he married his wife of 55 years, Katharine Bryant, also of Leeds. Gerald left his parent’s home with three bags of his belongings and started his farm on Campbell Road, building it from the ground up. His farm was originally a poultry farm, and he raised approximately 11 million chickens over a 27-year period for Lipman Poultry. Along with poultry farming, in 1962, he built a dairy barn and started shipping milk. Together he and Katharine worked the farm and raised their family. Gerald retired from farming 15 years ago, but that basically meant he worked only 12 hours a day. In 1983 he and Katharine started going for a month each year, to Pompano Beach, Fla., where Gerald enjoyed making many new friends. Gerald was very active in the Leeds community. In 1979 in Leeds, Gerald discovered the largest diameter silver maple tree in the United States. He was a charter member of the Leeds Community Church and sang in the choir. He served as an elder of the church for nine years and loved his work volunteering at the food bank. He was also a member of the Leeds Volunteer Fire Department. Gerald was instrumental in the development of the D.F.D. Russell Medical Center. He served as building supervisor of the project, and was also president on the D.F.D. Russell Medical Center board of directors.

He was a member of the Androscoggin County board of directors for the Maine Farm Bureau, six years in the Farmers Home Association (County Commission), Maine Poultry Association, Holstein Association and the Eastern Breeding Artificial Insemination Cooperative. Gerald enjoyed water-skiing with David Trider at Stinchfield Point, snow skiing, his vegetable garden, going to the agricultural fairs with Russ Buckley and loved the Maine State Music Theater in Brunswick. Gerald always had strong connection with his church and his neighbors and was always willing to lend a hand when needed. His family considered him the hardest working man they knew and always commented on how he took such pride in his wood piles.

He adored his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and especially loved babies. He was devoted to his family and to his community, and will be greatly missed by those who knew him.

He is survived by his wife, Katharine McNear of Leeds; four sons, John Nutting and his wife Sandy, Paul Nutting and his wife Penny, Jeffrey McNear and Craig McNear, all of Leeds; nine grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; a brother, Lawrence McNear and his wife, Patty, of Livermore; sister-in-law, Sandra McNear and daughter-in-law, Kathy McNear both of Leeds.

He was predeceased by his parents; an infant son, Joel McNear in 1962; and his brother, Alfred McNear in 1999.