CPO Carl R. McPherson, USN Ret. 1942 – 2021

TOPSHAM – Chief Petty Officer Carl R. McPherson, U.S. Navy Retired, 79, passed away peacefully at home Monday, June 7, 2021 surrounded by his family. He succumbed to lung cancer after being diagnosed in March of 2020. The son of James McPherson and Ona (Hartman) McPherson,  Carl was born March 9, 1942 in Northumberland, Pa.

He was a 1960 graduate of Northumberland High School. He later studied Horticulture at Southern Maine Vocational Technical Institute.

On August 20, 1966, he married Patricia O’Donnell of Portland with whom he shared the rest of his life, a wonderful 54 years.

Carl enlisted in the US Navy in 1960 and retired in 1980 as a Chief Petty Officer. He served in several squadrons, including his favorites, VP-23 in Brunswick and VXE-6 in Quonset, R.I., where he served two deployments in Antarctica and fulfilled a lifelong dream of visiting the South Pole. After his military service, Carl worked for the Naval Aviation Engineering Service Unit (NAESU) with his friend, Harry Leonard, until his retirement in 2003. Not content with retired life, he continued to work seasonally at L.L.Bean for a number of years.

He enjoyed fishing and spending time with his family. He loved large family gatherings and was always happy to invent an “occasion” to celebrate. In order to spend more time with his children and grandchildren, he organized an annual trip “upta camp,” which has become a fond annual tradition. Carl was an avid gardener, spending many hours tending his extensive flower beds and vegetable gardens. He enjoyed sharing his passion with neighbors and family and passed his love of gardening on to his sons. In his forties, Carl had the pleasure of learning how to play the Scottish bagpipes. He performed throughout the state for a number of years with the Kora Highlanders Pipe and Drum Band. He was a lifelong member of Northumberland Fire Company #1. He was a Freemason and a member of the Kora Shriners. He served as a S.A.D. #75 School Board Member and was instrumental in the site selection for Woodside Elementary School.

Carl is survived by his wife, Patricia, of Topsham; son, John and wife Dee of Brunswick; son, Aaron and wife Dawn of Falmouth; son, Devin and wife Helen of Fort Worth, Texas; grandchildren, Seth, Alec, Sean, Katelyn, Ryan, Clarendon, Charlotte, and Matilda; and great-grandchildren,  Arrabella and Julian. He is also survived by his sister, Romayne “Kate” McPherson, brother, Robert “Pat” McPherson and wife Joyce, and sister-in-law Anita McPherson.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, James and Carman and sisters, Shirley and Marian “Peck”.

Visiting hours will be held Friday, June 11 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Stetson’s Funeral Home 12 Federal, Brunswick. A funeral service will be held Saturday, June 12 at 10 a.m. at the funeral home. Interment will be at Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 163 Mount Vernon Rd., Augusta at a later date.

Memorial condolences may be expressed at stetsonsfuneralhome.com

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to MaineRivers.org.