SCARBOROUGH — Arthur Hansen Stolpestad, 69, of South Portland, died July 24 at the Gosnell Memorial Hospice House from an aggressive form of prostate cancer.
Born in Medford, Mass., on Oct. 7, 1941, he was the son of Birger Hansen Stolpestad of Oslo, Norway, and Martha Hille Danielsen Stolpestad of Mandal, Norway.
In 1959 he graduated from Lynn English High School, in Lynn, Mass., where he met his wife of 47 years, Bonnie Jean Harthan.
He received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the General Electric-Tufts Apprentice program in 1965 and later on, an MBA from New Hampshire College in 1983.
His purchasing and logistics career in management included General Electric in Lynn, Mass., Bath Iron Works, L.L.Bean, the state of Maine, and Procurement Technical Assistance Program in Lewiston.
He was involved with prostate cancer awareness, and his well-researched documentation of his personal journey identified a lengthy familial pattern of the cancer that is spurring family in the U.S. and Norway to take earlier preventative measures. He loved genealogy, classic wooden boats, marksmanship, and passed on to family and friends alike his curiosity for the natural world and deep love for the ocean.
Surviving are his wife Bonnie of the Betsy Ross House in South Portland; son Lars Hansen Stolpestad, wife Kari Lynne, and their children Annika and Bjorn of Lodi, Calif.; daughter Kari Lynn Bierbaum, husband Bruce and son Gunnar of Burlington, Vt.; daughter Rev. Kerrie Balch Harthan and partner Gloria Korsman of Cambridge, Mass.; brother Norman Hansen Stolpestad and wife Jill of Batavia, Ill.; neice Nancy and husband Darren Conrad of Plainfield, Ill., and nephew Eric Hansen Stolpestad and wife Kimberly of Oswego, Ill.; sister-in-law Candy Dorscheid of Madison, Conn., and brother-in-law Lewis Harthan and wife Maria of Greene.
A private graveside service will be held at Pine Grove Cemetery.
He greatly admired the outreach of St. Ansgar Lutheran Church. If desired, memorial contributions can be made to the church at 515 Woodford St., Portland, ME 04102.
Arrangements are by Stetson’s Funeral Home, 12 Federal St., Brunswick.
Memorial condolences may be expressed at stetsonsfuneralhome.com.
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