FREEPORT — Jack F. Crosskill, 94, of Lisbon Falls passed away in the early morning hours of Saturday, May 12, at the Hawthorne House Nursing Home in Freeport.
He was born and raised in Grimsby, England where he was the only child of Fred and Elsie (Snowden) Crosskill. He was educated in the English school system through the secondary level and upon graduation enlisted in the British Royal Navy where he served from 1942-1945. He rose to the rank of lieutenant and found himself, along with his Navy flight squadron, stateside in Auburn doing some flight training at the Lewiston-Auburn airport. That year was 1944 and it was there that he met his wife, Jean Taylor, at a local dance club during a recreational leave from the barracks. They married in Auburn on April 29, 1944, which began a 59-year love affair. They moved back to England where Jean gave birth to her first child, Michael. The family of three then returned to Auburn in 1948 to raise four additional children.
His college training was in industrial engineering at the Leicester School of Technology, and when he returned to the United States he began a long career in the textile industry. In that time frame, as an industrial engineer, he was employed by Bates Manufacturing of Lewiston, Jeffrey Manufacturing of Columbus, OH, and the Farnsworth Mill in Lisbon. In 1968 he began working for RCA in the field of electronics. He worked at various other engineering jobs until he retired and then continued to work part-time to keep busy and active.
There was nothing of more value to him than his family. Evidence of this came from famous Sunday drives to destinations unknown and bringing his family during summer weekends to ocean beaches, mainly Popham and Reid State Park. His true love of coastal waters stemmed from his childhood, and working as a lifeguard at the seaside resort in Cleethorpes, England. His other passion was golf, which he played for many decades, participating in several golf leagues. He also enjoyed playing with his three sons and grandsons where many humorous golf stories have continued to make his family chuckle years after his last round was played.
His sense of humor was unmatched. His use of puns in diverse situations and using comedy at the dinner table was legendary. A mere mention of the Pink Panther movies would cause him to enter a state of comic euphoria! He will always be remembered for this virtue, but more importantly for the unending love that he demonstrated for his family throughout his life.
He was predeceased by his wife, Jean, in 2003 and is survived by his children, Michael of Lisbon Falls, Maureen of Litchfield, Scott of Fryeburg, Charles of River Ridge, LA, and Karen of Middleton, MA. He is also survived by 10 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Condolences may be shared with Jack’s family at www.crosmanfuneralhome.com.
Jack F. Crosskill
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