SACO- The Gillingham family announces the passing of husband, father and grandfather,
Chester (Chet) Smith Gillingham on Monday, February 20th, 2024. Chet was 93 years old and had a wonderful life. Born in Portland, Maine on Oct. 31, 1930, Chet grew up with his father, Arthur Gillingham, who was director of Boys’ programming at the YMCA
including North Star YMCA Camp in Waterboro, Maine, his mother, Janie Smith
Gillingham, who ran a fudge-making business, and two sisters, Louise Gillingham
(Bennett) and Hope Gillingham (Meyer). The family moved to Buxton, Maine in the mid-
1940s where Chet graduated from Hanson High School in 1948.
Chet’s love of photography began as a teenager when he built his first darkroom.
Photography became Chet’s profession. He served as a state-side Marine Corps
Photographer in the Korean War and later attended the Rochester Institute of
Technology in Rochester, New York where he earned an Illustrative Photography
degree. Chet worked as an industrial research photographer in New Haven,
Connecticut where he managed the metals research photo lab at Olin Corporation. In
Maine, he worked with various businesses as a photographer and opened his own
photography business in Buxton, ‘Maine Images’, and retired as a Reprographic
Photographer. When Chet put down his camera, he picked up his pen. He was very
active in a number of writing groups wherever he lived and enjoyed writing creative
essays, stories, and poems some of which were published.
Throughout his life, Chet also loved hiking in the mountains, riding his bicycle to
work and immersed himself in the bicycling community. He also explored the world on a
tandem bicycle with his wife, Marilyn. The two, and their cat, also traveled the country
during their retirement years pulling a camper and staying in campgrounds and national
parks from Maine to Oregon. Chet also loved gardening and reading. As an active
Unitarian Universalist, he participated in many forms of community outreach. Chet was
always aware of and concerned about world and community events.
Chet’s true love all of his life was his family. He met his wife, Marilyn Rae
Skinner, of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, and the two married in 1958, more than 65 years
ago. Their love is the glue that created and held together a large and growing family.
Chet is survived by his wife and four sons, Steven Ray (Pamela Delisle), John Arthur
(Holly Wade), Peter Daniel (Kimberly Rowley), and David Paul, Wendi Whitaker, eight
grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren not to mention his extended family and
many friends.
The Gillingham family will hold a graveside service at the family plot in the South Buxton (Tory Hill)
Cemetery in Buxton, Maine this spring on Monday May 6th at 11AM. Should you choose, in lieu of flowers the family encourages friends and relations to emulate Chet’s practice of giving support to those in need locally by donating funds and/or time to a cause close to you. Support your local
community, like Chet did, and help make the world a better place.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Chad E. Poitras Cremation and Funeral Service, Buxton, www.mainefuneral.com