William Carlton Tukey

NORTH BELGRADE – William Carlton Tukey, better known as “Bill”, passed away peacefully on Friday July 18, 2025, at Mid Maine Medical Center in Augusta. He was 91 years young.

Bill was born on Oct. 7, 1933 in Waterville to Hugh Tukey and Lucille Elizabeth Withers Tukey and lived most of his entire life in North Belgrade. He was the oldest of eight children.

He graduated from Belgrade Central School class of 1952. He was proud of the baseball teams he played on and the many talented teammates. He also won an all expense paid trip to Chicago with his work in 4H.

After graduation Bill went to Montana to work on a ranch. He always told of the beauty of the place and the hard work as a “cowboy”! He brought home a Hereford cow which he used to start his own herd in North Belgrade.

He was married to Arlene Beverly French on Aug. 19, 1955. He was drafted into the Navy in 1956 where he was stationed in North Carolina, Bermuda and Greenland working as ground crew on “submarine hunting blimps” (numerous stories there). After discharge he returned home to North Belgrade and built his home on Horsepoint Road where he remained and enjoyed 48 wonderful years with Arlene raising two children until her passing in 2004.

Following Arlene’s passing, Bill met Donna Kennard and shared his remaining years together.

He and his four brothers, Ken, Roy, Dan, and Peter, worked for their father in the sawmill business. The first mill burned in 1964 when Hugh and the families moved to Washington County to cut cedar for log homes. In 1971 Bill and his brothers purchased their father’s business and returned to North Belgrade and started a lumber stud mill. The business stayed there and expanded until 2020 when it was sold.

Bill had many hobbies and interests from pulling draft ponies and horses, training hunting dogs, going to most of the state fairs and fishing, but most will say his true happiness was in the woods hunting something! He got his first deer in his teens and his last, just last year at 91, both of which were taken on Belgrade Hill in North Belgrade.

Bill was not only loved by all his family but by an abundance of friends and neighbors for his kindness and generosity. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Bill truly enjoyed his family life whether it was with Cindy and the horses and dogs or spending an entire winter with Andy building a “pulling tractor” or going ice fishing on some remote lake. Oh, and hunting with them any time they were available! He was always there to help out on their building projects. He made two family trips on the Allagash River, one in his 20s and the last in his 80s. He always had a broad smile on his face when talking about his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Bill was predeceased by his parents; brothers Ken and Peter, and sister, Brenda; and his wife, Arlene.

He is survived by his brothers Roy and Danny, sisters Pricilla and Maryann; two children, Cindy and Andy; five grandchildren, Melissa, Rebecca, Allyson, Samantha and Alexandria; 10 great-grandchildren, Ethan, Carley, Libby, Maddy, Jameson, Austin, BillieAnn, Theodore, Finnegan and Liam; additionally, the host of their beloved spouses and other relatives.

A graveside service will be held at the Pine Grove Cemetery on Route 8 in Belgrade at 1 p.m. Monday July 28, 2025, to be followed by a gathering for refreshments and “tales” in Bill’s garage on Horsepoint Road.

Services are under the care of Wheeler Funeral Home, 26 Church St,. Oakland. An online guestbook may be signed and memories shared at http://www.wheelerfh.com.