Francis H. Vail, III

EAST STONEHAM — Francis H. Vail III, 62, of East Stoneham died Friday, April 1, 2011 at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston. He was born in Rumford, April 27, 1948, the son of Francis H. and Eloise M. Perkins Vail, Jr. He started school in Newry, then attended the E. Stoneham Elementary School, Fryeburg Academy and graduated from Oxford Hills High School. He then graduated from Right State University in Ohio. He worked as a rehabilitation counselor for the Department of Human Services in the Oxford Hills area, in the food stamp office in Rumford and for approximately 15 years owned the East Stoneham Country Store. He was a former president of Oxford County Community Services and was instrumental in starting the Oxford Rehabilitation Center. He enjoyed woodworking, his worm farm, minerals, birds, gardening, hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, computers, telling tall tales and practical jokes. Family, his sisters, nieces and nephews meant everything to him.

Survivors include his sisters, Bonita Taylor and Martha Littlefield and her husband Neal,all of Stoneham; nieces and nephews, Doreen Carpenter, Richard Wentworth, Lee Lee Rugg, Chris Littlefield and Valerie Barker;  eight grandnieces; five grandnephews and three great-grandnieces.

The family will receive family and friends on Friday, April 8 from 6-8 p.m. at the Greenleaf Funeral Home, 37 Vernon St. in Bethel where funeral services will be held Saturday, April 9 at 2 p.m. Interment will be later in the spring at Riverside Cemetery in Bethel. In lieu of flowers, those who wish may make donations in his memory to Stoneham Rescue, P.O. Box 42, Stoneham, ME 04231. On-line condolences may be shared with his family at www.chandlerfunerals.com.