Leroy Joseph Klitch Jr. Obituary (1932 - 2019)

OLD TOWN, MAINE Leroy Joseph Klitch, 86 of Old Town, Maine peacefully ended his days on planet earth on March 25th, 2019 after over a decade long battle with cancer. He was born the only child of Frances Sutvan Klitch and Leroy Joseph Klitch on April 24,1932 in Camden, New Jersey. He was raised in Ramsey, New Jersey by his very devoted mother Frances, Aunt Martha and Uncle Merrill where he lived until graduating from Ramsey high school in 1949. After high school, Roy attended Rutgers University, eventually transferring to Wentworth Technical Institute where he trained as an aircraft mechanic. After serving four years in the United States Air Force, he and his first wife, Janet and their daughter, Betsy moved to Old Town, Maine in 1956 where Roy worked as an aircraft mechanic for Central Maine Flying Service. He was recruited by James W. Sewall Company, where he worked for 40 years. Much of that time, Roy headed up Sewall’s Aerial Survey department, which at that time, was the premiere aerial photography company serving the Northeast. Roy immensely enjoyed hunting ruffed grouse over his bird dogs on a pretty October day, sitting in a duck blind on the coast of Maine during a blinding snow storm, casting for Atlantic Salmon on the salmon rivers of New Brunswick, or fishing for Blue Fin Tuna off Maine’s beautiful coast. He was a most accomplished wood carver; exhibiting his artistic skills in life-like, wooden replicas of whales, ducks, trout, sailfish, herons, striped bass, salmon, roosters and shore birds. Many of his wooden carvings are exhibited on several weather vanes from the Gulf Coast to the Northeast. Roy married Carol Littlefield Lord Klitch of Old Town, ME in 1982 and Old Town is where they made their home. Roy was a very experienced yachtsman; owning several sailboats and power boats. He and his wife, Carol, enjoyed many trips and cozy harbor moorings up and down Maine’s coast, as well as a trip up and down the east coast to Florida and back. Roy is survived by his first wife, Janet Klitch, of Old Town and their son Timothy Klitch (Margie) of Fort Collins, Colorado and their daughter Betsy Schultz (David) of Gig Harbor, Washington. He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Carol Klitch, of Old Town and three stepchildren, Susan Lord Stewart and fiancé (Danny) of Manchester, NH, Hannah Lord Davis (Ed) of Tega Cay, SC and Nathaniel Lord (Kathy) of Cumberland Foreside, Maine, ten grandchildren and three great grandchildren. He was pre-deceased by an infant daughter, Susan Klitch and a stepdaughter Elizabeth Lord. A Celebration of life will be scheduled in the near future. The family will mail notifications directly to friends and family and notify the public through various social media websites. The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, those who feel compelled to give can make a donation to The Lafayette Family Cancer Institute through The Northern Light Health Foundation at https://northernlighthealth.org/Locations/Foundation/Donation-Opportunities. The family is grateful for their support in this journey.