Richard “Rick” L. Thacker

WEST GARDINER – Richard “Rick” L. Thacker, 82, passed away peacefully on Dec. 6, 2024, surrounded by his loving family at his home on Lake Cobbosseecontee in West Gardiner.

Born on July 28, 1942, in Bellefonte, Pa., to parents Ted and Elthea Thacker, Rick’s family later relocated to Ithaca, N.Y., where he spent his formative years alongside his younger sisters, Linda and Sharon. Rick enjoyed sports, tinkering with family cars, and participating in the Boy Scouts of America. The Finger Lakes region offered Rick countless childhood adventures, including a beloved Scout camp where he eventually worked. Later, the family moved to Oxon Hill, Md., where Rick graduated from Oxon Hill High School.

At 17, Rick enlisted in the U.S. Navy, beginning active duty after graduation. While attending electronics school in Millington, Tenn., Rick met Sherry, the love of his life. The two married on Sept. 1, 1962, in Memphis, Tenn. Rick was selected for the Navy’s prestigious NESEP program in 1963, leading him to Purdue University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering and earned his commission in the Navy and served as a navigator aboard P-3 planes.

Over his 26-year Naval career, Rick and his family relocated across the U.S., from California to Florida and even to Iceland. Eventually, Maine’s beauty and welcoming community captured Rick and Sherry’s hearts. They laid down roots, particularly within First Parish Church, Brunswick, where they nurtured their faith and friendships.

Rick and Sherry embraced entrepreneurship, opening several successful Arby’s franchises in Maine. They continued operating their businesses until 2023. True to Maine tradition, Rick and Sherry became snowbirds, wintering in Florida while spending summers at Lake Cobbosseecontee. Rick enjoyed working on the family cars and later found joy in racing with his sons near Ithaca, at Watkins Glen, N.Y.

After celebrating 50 wonderful years of marriage, Rick was predeceased by his beloved Sherry in 2012.

He is survived by his sons Richard Jr. (Stephanie) and their children, Lauren (fiancé Jake Desjardins) and Adam; and Christopher (Hailey) and their sons, Harrison and Alden. He also leaves behind his sisters Linda Hennings (Richard) and Sharon Samardzija (Milo), and their families.

Friends and family are invited to visit 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 29, at Brackett Funeral Home, 29 Federal St., Brunswick. A reception will follow at 3:30 p.m. at the Seventh Day Adventist Church, 333 Maine St., Brunswick. A graveside service will be held in the spring at Riverside Cemetery, Brunswick.

Memories and condolences can be shared at http://www.brackettfh.com.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations in Rick’s memory be made to

Friends of the

Cobbossee Watershed,

P.O. Box 206,

East Winthrop, ME 04343 or

Brunswick Naval Aviation Museum,

179 Admiral Fitch Ave.,

Brunswick, ME 04011