WINTHROP – Milton “Bill” Pinkham passed away from this world on March 27, 2022, at the age of 90.

He was born at his family home in Readfield on July 9, 1931, to Augustus and Maude Pinkham, the youngest of 11 children. Bill grew up in Readfield and spent the majority of his life in Winthrop, an area that he loved. He was the proud father of eight children from a previous marriage. He met Dianna and her three children and married in 1987.

In 1993 Bill retired from the State of Maine Department of Transportation with 31 years of service. At the time of his retirement, he was the longest running supervisor in highway maintenance.

Bill started his love of trucks and heavy equipment early in life by hauling lumber to Massachusetts when he was only in his teens and working on the Golden Road. Bill started his own construction company that he ran with his sons Brian and Gary for many years. He continued the business after his retirement from the State of Maine.

Bill was proud to be a Master Mason for 46 years; was in the Scottish Rite, Valley of Augusta and Portland for 44 years; and belonged to the Kora Shriners for 43 years.

Bill was gregarious, loved to travel, hunt, and work in the garage on tractors and equipment. He also loved to fly. He once owned a Cessna 172 that he would land in the field behind the house and enjoyed renting float planes from Twitchell’s Airport in Turner. He even flew over the mountains of Alaska during one of his many trips to Alaska with Dianna. Bill enjoyed recounting stories of their many travels; riding in the cockpit of a 747, fishing in Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula and meeting friends, as he and Dianna traveled through all 50 states and the Canadian provinces in their motorhome.

Bill taught by example. If you were paying attention, he taught you to stop and find joy in life’s simple pleasures and how to treat the people around you. As an avid hunter and outdoorsman Bill appreciated the world around him. He would often draw your attention to a sunset or deer, geese, turkeys (pretty much anything passing through the back field) or the comfort and peace of a warm fire in the wood stove on a chilly morning. He was a welcoming host to anyone who should show up at his door.

Bill was predeceased by his parents Augustus and Maude; and siblings Merle, Sylvia, Ester, Eugene, Norman, Perley, Dorothy, George, Maxine, and Rachel.

He is survived by his wife, Dianna; his eight children, Sandra Cox, Judy Pinkham, Gary Pinkham, Brenda Gelinas, Brian Pinkham, Debra Dicey, Jan Macdonald, and Nan Molton; his three stepchildren, James Hannum, Matthew Hannum, and Michelle Hannum; 23 grandchildren; 26 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

Bill would lend a hand to everyone. When he got a call that someone needed help or advice, he would always respond. Now, that simple call will be forever replaced with “What would Bill do?”.

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