Gary Carl Spurgat Sr., 84, passed away peacefully on Jan. 14, 2025 at Miles Hospital in Damariscotta with his family by his side.

Gary was born on April 2, 1940 in Jersey City, New Jersey to Marie and Carl J. Spurgat. He lived with his family in Metedeconk, New Jersey until age 5, when the family moved and settled on Main Avenue in Bay Head, New Jersey.

He attended Bay Head School through grade 8 and then moved on to Point Pleasant Beach High School in the Class of 1958. In 1956, the Spurgat family bought the historic Grenville Hotel next door where Gary spent endless hours with his father maintaining the building and the grounds and helping his family run the hotel. In this time, he learned a multitude of construction, electrical, and plumbing skills from his father. He put those skills to good use for the rest of his life and most would consider him an expert craftsman.

Upon completion of high school and still working as the right-hand man to his father at the Hotel, Gary attended the Trenton Technical Institute in Trenton, New Jersey. He commuted everyday from Bay Head in his beloved 1952 yellow MG that he reported having rebuilt several times with his father. Upon completion of his draftsman certification, he began his career at FastSpray Corporation in Red Bank, New Jersey. He followed the company with their relocation to Jacksonville, Florida, but after only one year in Florida, he moved back to his home in New Jersey to be with his family.

In 1963, he voluntarily enlisted into the United States Air Force where he traveled the country and the world until he was honorably discharged in 1967.

In 1968 after returning to New Jersey, he was introduced through acquaintances at church to his life-long love, Joan. They were engaged soon after and married at Harvey Memorial Church in Point Pleasant, New Jersey on June 14, 1969. Together they raised their family of five children in Bay Head until moving to Edgecomb, Maine in 1985. After some short term employment experiences, he began working at Bath Iron Works where he worked as a draftsman, specifically designing pipe hangers for the many Navy ships to come through the shipyard until his retirement in 2005.

Gary was a kind and caring man who would eagerly help anyone. He was a beloved husband, father, and grandfather. He loved the ocean and being near the water and would happily share his fond memories of growing up on the Jersey Shore.

Since he was a child, he loved antique cars, as well as airplanes, trains, and boats. He would eagerly share his collection of model boats and airplanes he had built throughout his life and “Grandpop’s trainboard” with all. He loved to visit Owl’s Head Transportation Museum whenever he could and enjoyed the camaraderie of those he met there who shared his interests. He used the many skills learned from his father to remodel and maintain their home in Edgecomb. His finish carpentry was meticulous. He also took much pride in creating handmade gifts for all to enjoy. From a ride-on-top, drivable wooden school bus to hand-carved animals and trinkets, his grandchildren looked forward to handmade gifts from Grandpop at Christmas.

Gary is survived by his wife of 55 years, Joan (Hibbs) Spurgat; his five children and their families: Natalie and Jake Castonia: Jack and Emma, Gary C. Spurgat Jr., Gretchen and Lucas Shippee: Evan, Grace, Madeline and Ryann, Adam Spurgat and Jacey Waterhouse: Naia and Kahale, Diana and Luigi Lubrano: Raymond and Violet. He is also survived by his sister Judith Spurgat and brother Gregory Spurgat and his wife Beverly.

His family will gather to celebrate all that Gary was as a husband, father, and grandfather at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to Edgecomb Community Church at https://edgecombchurch.org/donations/ or Central Lincoln County Ambulance Service at https://clcambulanceservice.org/donate-now.