Robert Armand Payheur, 92, passed away peacefully on Friday June 10, 2022.
Robert was born on Jan. 11, 1930 in Biddeford, the son of Rudolph and Lucienne Payheur. Born in a rural area and the only son of six children, young Bob was a boy of the land. When he wasn’t chopping wood, milking the family cow, or tending to the many outdoor chores for the family, he was working at his grandfather’s nearby sawmill.
In the winters he worked at his grandfather’s ice house, helping to cut and move slabs of ice then delivering it to homes for customers’ iceboxes. At 17, anxious to help his fellow Mainers during the Great Fires of 1947, he joined the Maine National Guard. He rose to the rank of staff sergeant and served in the Guard for 13 years.
On Oct. 29, 1949, Robert married Rita Desrosiers. Together they raised two children. Robert began his career as a plumber’s helper, rose to apprentice then journeyman plumber. When he earned the certification and license to be a master plumber, he was the youngest in the state of Maine. Robert had his own plumbing business through his 20s.
Robert was then hired by Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in 1958 as a pipefitter on nuclear submarines. He narrowly escaped being onboard for the diving test of the ill-fated U.S.S. Thresher out of Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on April 10, 1963 — the deadliest peacetime submarine disaster in U.S. history. The atomic submarine crumpled to the floor of the Atlantic when it dived too steeply in depths too deep for the vessel, killing 129 — including civilians from Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Robert had been enthusiastically invited to join this diving test and providentially declined. During the course of his 28-year career at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard he rose to chief foreman of the nuclear plumbing/heating division.
Known by everyone as Bob, he had a tremendous sense of humor and loved to laugh. His favorite avocation was that of woodsman. He loved being out in the forest walking with his dogs, felling trees on his hundred-acre property — for the eventual use as lumber for building onto the house. Robert was also a jack of all trades. Not only a licensed plumber and oil burner expert, he also did very skillful work as a carpenter, mason, electrician, roofer, etc.
He completely built every aspect of the large ranch house that is the family home, by himself — section by section over the years.
Robert is survived by his wife Rita of 72 years and two daughters: Ruthie Payheur of Biddeford, and Constance Payheur of Saco. Robert is preceded in death by all his siblings, but for one sister, Claire Mondville.
A graveside service open to all will be held for Mr. Payheur at Saint Joseph Cemetery on West Street in Biddeford. The date and time of the graveside service is not available at the time of this printing. Please contact Hope Memorial Chapel of Biddeford (282-6300) for the service date and time.
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