SACO — Richard C. Stevens, 86, of Saco, died Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2014 at St. Andre’s Health Care Facility in Biddeford.

He was born April 11, 1928 in Sanford a son of Ralph O. and Catherine (Mudgett) Stevens.

He lived in Biddeford where he attended elementary schools and graduated from Biddeford High School in 1946.

Some of his fondest memories were of his childhood vacations on his grandparent’s dairy farm in Pittsfield. After his father died, Richard and his sister lived on the farm for a time before moving back to Biddeford. While in high school, his passion for aviation sent him to the Biddeford Airport where he spent his spare time doing odd jobs, fueling planes and “propping” engines in the hopes of getting airplane rides and some flight instruction. His poor eyesight kept him from passing the physical exam for his pilot’s license and later kept him from joining the Air Force.

That didn’t keep him from involvement with airplanes, however. In 1947 Richard enrolled in Roosevelt Aviation School in New York to learn to be an air plane mechanic. He received his FAA Mechanics license in 1948.

Richard returned to Maine, where he started an aircraft repair shop at the Biddeford Airport. He was also active in the local branch of the Civil Air Patrol.

On April 26, 1952 he married Madeleine Gagnon in Saco.

In 1954, the building in which his business was housed was burned down by the owner who, was later charged and convicted of arson. Having lost his business and livelihood, Richard began working full time at Zip’s Body Shop in Kennebunk. He was also the Chief of Kennebunk’s reserve police force.

In 1964 he accepted a job at Hussey Manufacturing Company in North Berwick as a spray painter in the finishing department, then supervisor of the machine shop and later promoted to the position of manufacturing engineer. He found his 26 years at Hussey’s rewarding and enjoyable. He continued to work as a consultant for Hussey’s after he retired to Florida.

With a life-long interest in aviation, he enjoyed building flight-worthy model airplanes. He was also an avid reader.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Madeleine, in 2003.

He is survived by: daughter Joyce Stevens and granddaughter Abigail Stevens-Roberts, both of Saco; and sister Carolyn Ferguson and her husband Roland of Biddeford.

Visiting hours will be from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8 at Hope Memorial Chapel, 480 Elm Street, Biddeford. A service will follow at 7 p.m. in the funeral home. Burial will be in Woodlawn Cemetery, Biddeford in the spring. To share condolences online, visit www.hopememorial.com.