Dick attended Jay High School where he demonstrated his love of electronics and computers by providing telsa coil demonstrations. His towering height of 6’ 8” allowed him to excel at basketball, winning the hearts of the people of Jay. He is still hailed in Jay as the “great basketball player.” He graduated from Jay High School in 1957.
He went on to earn an associate’s degree in electronics in 1959 from the former SMVTI. He also attended classes at MIT and was recruited by IBM as an electronics engineer, in Waltham, Mass. He was later transferred by IBM to Fishkill, NY, and eventually to Essex Junction, VT.
In 1976, he started his business, Maplelane Enterprises, in New Portland, ME, where he sold and serviced electronics and appliances for the next 20 years. During his time in New Portland, an article was written about him referring to him as the “Gentle Giant.”
In 1990, he married Charlotte (Huntington) Bodge. In 1999, they moved to Bellingham, MA, where he worked for EMC2 as an electrical engineer in Hopkinton, Mass. He remained there for the next five years until his retirement in 2004. Sadly, his wife passed that same year. In 2005, he moved to Durham where he spent the remainder of his years with his current life partner, Beverly Blanchard.
Dick loved working on computers, but his greatest love was solving electrical problems. Dick was multi-talented. He enjoyed woodworking, crafting several toys for his grandson Justin, and making his own furniture. He excelled at computers, loved playing music on his keyboard, and his four organs which he had repaired.
He enjoyed spending winters at his home in Florida where he was sought out by the community for his electrical genius. Dick loved fishing and had many wonderful times with his sister Tammy and her husband Dave, fishing the waters of Unity Pond in Maine. Dick excelled at making his favorite desserts to satisfy his big sweet tooth.
Dick is survived by his two daughters: Dianne (Bodge) Kalb and her husband, Paul of Star, Idaho; Tracy (Bodge) Jarvis and her fiancee, Shaun Scanlon of Poland, Maine; his two sisters, Judith Michaud and her husband, Thomas of Topsham, Maine; Tammy Bodge-Terry and husband, Dave of Burnham, Maine; his only grandson, Justin Jarvis, and many cousins in the Richmond area.
He is predeceased by his father and mother Gertrude and Charles Bodge, his wife Charlotte (Huntington) Bodge, and an infant daughter, Kelly.
Visitation hours will be from 4 to 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 19, 2014, at Fortin Group Funeral Home on 217 Turner St. in Auburn, Maine. The funeral services will follow at 5:30 p.m. on the same day at the same facility. All are invited to join the family at Marco’s Restaurant in Lewiston after the ceremony. The burial will be at the East New Portland Cemetery in North New Portland, Maine, next to his beloved wife Charlotte on Monday, Sept. 22 at 11 a.m.
Memorial contributions may be made to the University of Southern Maine Computer Science and Music Department for the advancement of music and computer education at University of Southern Maine, Advancement & Donor Services, P.O. Box 9300, Portland, ME 04104-9300, Computer Science and/or Music Scholarships in memory of Richard Bodge (please specify how donation is to be directed).
A service of The Fortin Group Plummer & Merrill Funeral Home, 217 Turner St., Auburn.
Online condolences are at www.thefortin- groupauburn.com.
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