Lee B. Stoddard, 81, of Boothbay Harbor passed away after a hard fought battle with pancreatic cancer.

He was born March 11, 1937 to Helen (Hardwick) and Kenneth E. Stoddard on the kitchen table of his family home in Boothbay.

Growing up, the family spent half of the year in Boothbay and the other half in Florida. He learned the value of hard work at an early age digging worms with his brother and father. By the age of 15, he had earned himself enough money to purchase West Harbor Swimming Pool. He graduated from BRHS class of '56 and attended MVTI (currently SMCC) for a two-year degree in contracting. After college he served two years in the U.S. Army.

In 1961 he started his contracting business, Stoddard Builders, which had a great reputation for quality. His jobs varied from repairing the lanes at Romar Bowling Alley to the mahogany work inside the Rocktide Inn. It was of great importance to him that he pass these skills to his two sons.

When it became time for him to retire from contracting, he and his brother built Dolphin Mini Golf in 1991, Ice Cream Hut in 1992, and later a Covered Bridge to display his father's vast shell collection, including shells he and his family collected in Sanibel, Florida. For 25 years Dolphin Mini Golf and Ice Cream Hut raised over $100,000 for Shriners Hospital for Children, which had treated his nephew who battled leukemia. He enjoyed mini golf and played in several national tournaments. He was inducted into the Mini Golf Hall of Fame. Dolphin Mini Golf was a member of the USPMGA and hosted an annual tournament, The Dolphin Open. And in 2008 was the first course to host the U.S. Open of mini golf outside of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

In 1995 Lee met his wife Nancy. They shared a love for country music and line dancing. Up until he met her, he had traveled through 47 states. They visited the last three together, hunting for gold in the Mojavi Dessert in Arizona, walking the black beach in Hawaii and cruising to Alaska seeing only one glacier along the way. In recent years he enjoyed constructing gingerbread houses as to keep his construction skills in check.

His favorite times were spent with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He related well with kids as he was a kid at heart. He wasn't afraid of acting silly and never missed a chance to get his face painted at a birthday party.

Lee was predeceased by his parents and son Fabian Stoddard.

He is survived by wife Nancy of Boothbay Harbor; sister Shirley and husband Bob McMurray of Cambridge, Vermont; brother, Aubrey (Bob) Stoddard and wife Dianne Stoddard of Mumford Tennessee, and Helen (Marlis) and husband Glenn Cunningham of Kings Mountain, North Carolina; daughter, Susan (Stoddard) Hodgdon of Sawyers Island; son, Decada (Dusty) Stoddard of Boothbay; stepson, Corey Tibbetts of Boothbay Harbor; stepdaughter, Katrina Dunsmore and companion James Barter; grandchildren, Brooke Erwin, Erin and husband Mitch Garey, Kacey and husband Brandon Hartwell, Gage Wahlstrom, Chanel Stoddard, Aidan and Lucian Stoddard, Adaline and James Ryan Barter; and great-granddaughters, Eleanor, Chloe, Arzetta and Lizzy, many nieces nephews and cousins. He also leaves behind his breakfast buddies and best friends Arthur Richardson and Arnold Thibodeau.

He will be dearly missed by his mini golf family.

Visiting hours will be held on Thursday, Dec. 6 from 5-7 p.m. at Hall Funeral Home in Boothbay, Maine. Celebration of Life will be on Sunday, Dec. 9 at noon at the American Legion Hall in Boothbay, Maine. Contributions in Lee's memory may be made to Lincoln County Animal Shelter, P.O. Box 7, Edgecomb, ME 04556, or the charity of your choice.

Condolences may be shared with the family at www.hallfuneralhomes.com.

Arrangements are entrusted to Hall Funeral Home, 975 Wiscasset Road, Boothbay Maine.