AUGUSTA – William “Bill” Emmett Pinette, Jr., died on June 15, 2023, in Hallowell at the age of 91.

Bill was born at home in Augusta on March 16, 1932, the son of William Emmett Pinette, Sr., and Ivy Beatrice Skillin Pinette. He was the younger brother of Elizabeth Alice Pinette and Dorothy Kathryn Pinette, both of whom predeceased him. Their family homestead was one of Maine’s first bed-and-breakfasts, located along Riverside Drive.

A gifted artist in his youth, Bill contributed his talents to the Coniad yearbook at Cony High School. His fellow students praised his creative imagination and recognized him as “a vital member of our class.” Bill was inducted into the National Honor Society, attended Dirigo Boys State, and received the boys’ first honor part his senior year. He delivered the Honor speech at his Cony graduation, on the topic of Maine’s industrial history and future. Bill’s words that day paid homage to three generations of Pinette men, including his father, who made their living in Maine’s paper mills.

Boston University awarded a four-year scholarship to Bill, and he began his studies in September 1950. During his college career, he enlisted in the Air Force, achieving the rank of Airman Second Class. While stationed at Hill AFB in Utah, Bill completed his BU studies under “Operation Bootstrap,” a program that paid partial tuition and allowed servicemen to continue college course work. In June 1957, Bill received a BFA in Magazine Illustration from the College of Practical Arts at BU.

In a letter that was published in the Hill Top Times, Bill expressed his gratitude: “My indebtedness to the United States Air Force and to the 4677th Radar Evaluation Flight, whose unselfish interests made possible my participation in so beneficial a program, can be measured in no small terms.” This text gives testimony to Bill’s generous spirit.

After his military service, Bill found work as a graphic designer in Salt Lake City, Utah, a profession he loved. When his father became ill in the late 1960s, Bill returned to the family home on Riverside Drive in Augusta and remained there the rest of his days. He was a soft-spoken man with an amazing green thumb; the Pinettes’ property had acreage sloping down to the Kennebec River, and he maintained several thriving groves and gardens along it. After his father’s passing in 1977, Bill took on the role of caregiver for his mother, Ivy, until her death in 1993. He was a fine cook and a gracious host to visiting friends and family.

After her retirement, Bill’s sister, Dottie, resided with him. They were very close, and her 2009 passing was a difficult loss. Bill is survived by numerous cousins in Maine and beyond and made significant contributions to his family’s genealogy by sharing his detailed memories. His cousin, Nessa Burns Reifsnyder, her husband Peter, and their children Zoe, Willis, Lydia and Desmond enjoyed visits to his welcoming home, where chocolate cake was always available, and conversations flowed for hours.

Bill also enjoyed long, caring friendships with his next-door neighbors Jane Morse and her daughter Nancy Morse; Jeff and Betty Davis, their son and daughter-in-law Jeff and Martha Davis, daughter and son-in-law Jamie and Joe Stanley, and grandchildren Jeff Davis, Valley Davis, and Joe Stanley. Collectively, Bill’s neighbors supported him as companions, drivers, helpers, and beloved friends, and he was most grateful to all of them. Bill’s final illness brought him to Woodlands Senior Living of Hallowell, where the staff gave him compassionate, loving care.

Bill Pinette’s visitation will be held at Knowlton and Hewins Funeral Home, 1 Church St., Augusta on Thursday June 22 from 10 to 11 a.m., funeral services will begin at 11 a.m. Immediately following services, interment with military honors will be at Holy Family Cemetery, 139 Townsend Rd., Augusta. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited.

Arrangements are in the care of the Knowlton and Hewins Funeral Home, 1 Church St., Augusta where condolences and memories may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the funeral home website by visiting http://www.khrfuneralhomes.com.

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