PENOBSCOT
Richard Daniel Vanasse died peacefully in Blue Hill on May 9, 2018, one month shy of his 94th birthday.
Born on June 9, 1924, in Omaha, Neb., Richard was the son of Alcide Vanasse and Mildred Grace Brown. While he was a young boy, the family moved to Worcester, Mass., where he graduated from South High School in 1942.
After graduation, he became a naval aviation cadet and was commissioned as an ensign in the United States Naval Reserve in September 1944. During World War II, Ensign Vanasse served as a fighter-bomber pilot with the U.S. Pacific Fleet.
He attended Boston University from 1946 until 1948 when he returned to Navy Reserve Service as a lieutenant (junior grade). In 1951, he was promoted to lieutenant. During the Korean War, Lt. Vanasse flew F4-U Corsair fighter-bombers off the USS Boxer aircraft carrier and earned an air medal and two gold stars for combat service. He remained with the Naval Reserve until 1957.
He went to work for Eastern Airlines as a co-pilot and flight engineer in June 1957. Promoted to captain in July 1968, he remained with Eastern until his retirement on June 9, 1984. In 1970, Capt. Vanasse moved to Carversville, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where on Oct. 19, 1974, he married Anne Black Philbrick, whom he met while fox hunting on his favorite horse, Chester. In addition to a love of horses, Anne and Dick shared a love of friends, family, current events, reading, gourmet cooking, and wintering in St. Maarten in the Caribbean Islands. In the early 1980s, Dick and Anne built a house in Ottsville, a rural community in Bucks County.
In 1992, they moved to Penobscot, where they built another house with attached barn for Anne’s horse and Chester. Dick was a longtime member of the Castine Men’s Club and especially loved his “Vespers” group, which met each Friday at his home. He continued to winter in St. Maarten even after Anne’s death in 1999, missing this last winter only because Hurricane Irma’s damage made it impractical.
Dick is survived by his stepchildren Bill Philbrick (and Nancy Brucker), Kathy Philbrick-Gates (and Skip Gates) and Judy Philbrick Elliston (and Keith Elliston); and step-grandchildren Sam Gates, Jasmine Gates, Kendra Elliston and Conor Elliston. He was predeceased by hisparents, Mildred and Alcide; his wife, Anne; and his step-grandson, Will Gates.
The family is especially grateful to Dr. Ronald Prokopius and his fellow physicians, nurses and staff at Blue Hill Memorial Hospital for their efforts, care, and dedication during Dick’s final days which they performed with great kindness and compassion.
Dick will be interred next to Anne at Sandy Point in a private service. A celebration of his life will be scheduled for friends and family later this summer.
Arrangements are under the care of Smart & Edwards Funeral Home, 183 Madison Ave., Skowhegan.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to your favorite veterans’ support group.