Andrews Leland Tolman

READFIELD – Andrews Leland Tolman of Readfield, Maine, died unexpectedly on Tuesday, Oct, 22, 2024.  

Andy was born July 12, 1948, and grew up in Slingerlands, NY, the oldest child of the Rev. Canon Mason and Betsy (Mullens) Tolman. He left home, and his sister Laura and brother Mason, for boarding school at Mount Hermon School at 15. He went on to study at Bates College, where he met his wife and best friend Susie, a fellow Geology major. They knew they were meant to be together when they were the only two people still speaking to each other at the end of a rainy 6-week field course. 

During the Vietnam War, Andy enlisted in the Army and served as part of the 3rd Infantry Battalion (The Old Guard). After completing his military service, he moved with Susie and daughter Cary to Madison, Wis., where he earned Master’s Degrees in Water Resources Management and Hydrogeology from the University of Wisconsin. They then moved to Trooper Pa., where their other children Joel and Laurie were born. When a job opened up at the Maine Geological Survey (MGS), they were excited to move back to Maine. In 1980, the family bought 100 acres of land and a run-down 200-year-old farmhouse (one volunteer family construction worker fell through the floor into the basement). They spent the next 45 years rewiring, removing lead paint, watching the forest grow back, growing gardens, cutting and maintaining trails, hauling their canoe to and from the peat bog each season.

Andy had a deep commitment to his profession as a hydrogeologist. He was active in regional and national efforts to protect drinking water and watersheds across his entire Maine career at MGS, Robert G Gerber Inc, and as Assistant Director of the Maine Drinking Water Protection Agency. 

Andy loved to be needed and in the community. Before and after retirement, he served on the boards of state and national water-related organizations, and particularly valued his work with the 30 Mile River Watershed Association and the Kennebec Land Trust. He put down deep roots in Readfield and joined or was elected to most of the committees and boards that exist in town: Board of Selectmen, School Board, Planning Board, Cemetery and Budget Committee. In retirement, he joined the boards of several local theaters, the Historical Society, and other organizations. It brought him joy to connect with people and do work that mattered.

Andy also loved to cook (handmade pasta and grilling were two specialties), ride his bicycle, polish his Mazda Miata, and be on stage. He learned to raise one eyebrow from his parents, and to and during chapel at Mount Hermon. He broke into song at every opportunity – in the living room, as a member of Coda Chorus, in a musical (Gilbert and Sullivan was his favorite). He discovered he loved acting later in life; he joined in dozens of plays with Monmouth Community Players, Gaslight Theater, and other groups, and never missed an opportunity to see a performance. 

People who know and love Andy are invited to a green burial at the Kennebec Land Trust’s Baldwin Hill Conservation Ceremony, Fayette Corner Road, Fayette, at 3 p,m, on Monday, Oct, 28. A gathering will follow – location will be shared online once confirmed.

Arrangements are in the care of Roberts Funeral Home, Winthrop. A full obituary may be found at khrfuneralhomes.com.

Donations to your favorite local theater or conservation organization are encouraged instead of flowers