FALMOUTH – John Archer Graustein, 80, died peacefully at home on Oct. 23, 2022. He was born Oct. 30, 1941 in Cambridge, Mass., a son of Archibald Robertson Graustein, Jr. and Doris McGee Graustein. They resided in Arlington, Mass.

John and his older brother Bob moved to Fryeburg, Maine in 1947 with their mother and stepfather, David R. Hastings II.

John attended Fryeburg grade school and then Fryeburg Academy for three years, from 1955-1958. His senior year he attended Mount Hermon School in Mt. Hermon, Mass. He graduated in 1959 and went on to Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. John was the James Bowdoin Scholar senior year, 1963. Diploma in hand, he spent the summer working various jobs in Fryeburg before attending Harvard Law School from fall of 1963 until graduating the spring of 1966. He then clerked in a Portland, Oregon law firm for a few months finding time to ski at Mount Hood.

He went on to spend two years in the U.S. Army, one year in Korea on the DMZ at Camp Rose. John was in the First Battalion, Second Armored Division and was promoted to Captain while in Korea.

John returned home to Fryeburg, Maine in his fancy new red XKE Jaguar. Not knowing what to do next, he looked up his old summer romance, Barbara Bradley, a recent graduate of Oberlin College who had been teaching third and fourth grade in Evanston, Ill. before spending a year teaching in Beirut, Lebanon. They got together and decided it was high time to get married. The joyous wedding was August 2, 1969, just six weeks after their reunion.

John and Barbara moved to Portland, Maine where he began his law career with Drummond, Wescott, Woodsum Law Firm, now Drummond Woodsum. Barbara got a teaching job at North School, Portland.

Their sons Andrew (Emily Clasen) and Bradley (Laura Olsen) were born in 1978 and 1982. Now John and Barbara have four grandsons: Aiden Henry and Owen Fess of Albuquerque, N.M. and Connor Clasen and Ryder John of Seattle, Washington.

He was predeceased by his parents, his stepfather; a brother, LCDR Robert S. Graustein; and a nephew, Kent S. Graustein.

In addition to his wife, sons, daughter inlaws and grandchildren, he is survived by his siblings, David R. Hastings, Ann E. Hastings; and many nieces and nephews including one great great niece in Hawaii.

As John said many times the last two years, “We have had a good run.”

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 3 p.m. on Nov. 6, 2022, at Falmouth Congregational Church, 267 Falmouth Rd., Falmouth, ME 04105. A reception will follow at the church. Burial will be in Fryeburg at a later date.

Please visit http://www.jonesrichandbarnes.com to sign John’s online guest book.

In lieu of flowers,

donations in his memory

may be made to:

Bowdoin College,

Falmouth Veterinary Hospital or

a charity of one’s choice



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