WILTON — An East Dixfield man who died Wednesday in a crash was remembered Thursday by three of his children as a very caring man.
Gale Waycott, 62, died when he lost control of his truck on Temple Road and it rolled over and struck a tree, Police Chief Heidi Wilcox said. The mix of sleet and snow on the road and speed were contributing factors, she said.
Waycott was driving a 1996 Dodge 1500 pickup truck and was not wearing a seat belt, Wilcox said.
Waycott operated Fred’s Foods at Maine fairs.
His oldest child, Karen Waycott of Tennessee, said when she was sad as a child, he would play Elvis songs or music and her favorite song, “Daddy Come and Get Me” to cheer her up and make her laugh, she said. He even let her kiss his feet, she said.
She remembered him as being a man who could fix nearly everything, Waycott said. He had a good sense of humor and spoke what was on his mind. Waycott said she will remember his hugs, laughter and generosity.
His daughter, Brenda Storey of Texas, said that even though she had never met her biological father, they had been in contact often. She was adopted at 3 years old by the Storey family.
The daughter and father reconnected about four years ago. Her father had told her recently that he really wanted to see her, but the chance never came because of his unexpected death, Storey said.
“He was caring to me when we talked on the phone,” she said.
Both daughters said their father loved his bird, Charlie, a macaw.
Another of Waycott’s daughters, Donna Spear of Cutler, said she met him when she was about 16. She had been in foster care and her mother wouldn’t tell her who her father was, she said. Her father handed her the paternity papers and he told her he was her father, Spear said.
“He told me, ‘I love you very much and I’ve been looking for you for years,'” she said.
She described her father as very caring, stubborn, happy and a hard worker.
Waycott’s nickname was “Dilly” when he was growing up. He met the love of his life, Teresa Rowe, and they have been together for about 15 years. The two operated Fred’s Foods at Maine fairs, Spear said.
“It hurts,” she said. “It was all so unexpected. We just recently lost an (aunt and uncle). I loved him with all of my heart and I will miss him.”
Scott Mcgraw of Gray remembered how Gale Waycott could be counted on to help him and his partner on the carnival circuit.
“My brother, Joel Stinchfield, and myself bought Fat Guys Concession in 2009,” Mcgraw wrote in an email Thursday. “Gale was one of the first people to offer us help in the carnival business. He had a lot of knowledge in the carnie.”
Mcgraw said the two carnie businesses traveled the same fair circuit from Presque Isle to Fryeburg every year.
“This business can be hectic with all the moving and setting up weekly and if you have something you needed you could be sure Gale had it or knew where to get it. At times things break but Gale always was there to help us out,” Mcgraw wrote.
“He had a lot of good stories about the business and we will miss him when we start the 2016 season. He also had a way of finding employees whether it be through the computer or sometimes it might be someone he picked up hitchhiking. He was a character and I will miss him.”
dperry@sunmediagroup.net
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