LACONIA ---- Earl Gavin Tatham, 91, of Lakeport, NH passed away peacefully in his home with his loving wife by his side on Sunday, March 17, 2024.
Born in Lakeport, May 13, 1932, to George Crandall Tatham and Thelma Winifred (Whitehouse) Tatham, Earl was a life-long resident of this city.
As a young lad Earl became acquainted with Carl E. Wallace, owner and captain of the “Foxy II” tour boats. Earl became Carl’s first mate at the age of 12, taking vacationers around Paugus and Lake Winnipesaukee during the WWII. He kept this seasonal job for several summers, obtaining his boat pilot’s license at age 16.
After graduating from Laconia High School in 1950, Earl enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and underwent advanced electrical training to become an air traffic controller while stationed at Loring Air Force base in Limestone, Maine. He attained the rank of Staff Sergeant and was awarded the National Defense Service Medal and the Good Conduct Medal at the completion of his service.
In 1955, Earl met his first wife, Phyllis Marie Greenier, and they were married in 1955. He joined the New England Telephone Company and became repair service supervisor for the State of NH until retiring in 1987. In 1976 Earl and Phyllis purchased The Golden Rod, a custom drapery and upholstery business in Laconia, and operated it for several years.
From the young age of 11, Earl was a lifelong lover of all things golf. He enjoyed the game and encouraged his children to play as well. After his retirement, he worked at Laconia Country Club assisting his friend Tom DeFonzo with greens’ maintenance and golf cart repairs. When he wasn’t playing golf, Earl enjoyed putting his carpentry skills to the test building and repairing things or playing a game of cribbage.
Earl was a third-generation member of The Chocorua Lodge of the IOOF, where he last served as treasurer. In 1988, Earl and Freddy purchased a home in Cape Coral, Florida as a winter residence. They became official “snowbirds” for the next 30 years, alternating time between Lakeport and Florida.
Earl is survived by his first wife Phyllis and second wife, Freddy (Brugger) Tatham, four children, Julie, Mark, Michael and Holly; one stepdaughter Candy, nine grandchildren, three step-grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and two step great-grandchildren.
Special thanks must be given to Donna and Karl Schlenker, Caroline Maddocks, Cindy McGinley and Bev and Art Perron for their loving and generous support given to Freddy and the family during Earl’s illness.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, May 25, 2024, at 10:00am, at the St. Andre Bessette Parish at Sacred Heart Church, 291 Union Avenue, Laconia, NH.
Graveside services with military honors will be held immediately following the service at Bayside Cemetery, 1345 Union Avenue, Laconia, NH.
For those who wish, the family suggests memorial contributions in Earl’s name be made to American Heart Association, 7272 Greenville Ave., Dallas, TX 75231, Alzheimer's Association, 166 S. River Road # 210, Bedford, NH 03110, or to Granite VNA Hospice, 30 Pillsbury Street, Concord, NH 03301.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services/603Cremations.com, 164 Pleasant St., Laconia, NH, 03246, is assisting the family with arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial, please visit wilkinsonbeane.com.