Danilo Konvalinka, 83, formerly of Wiscasset, died peacefully at Cove’s Edge Long Term Care in Damariscotta on June 18. Cove’s Edge is where he lived for the past several years.
Born on Sept. 23, 1931 in Celte, Yugoslavia, he was the only child of Anton Konvalinka and Christa Hildegard Lang. The family moved from Yugoslavia to upper Austria around 1935 and later to the outskirts of Salzburg around 1940.
In 1954 Danilo met Lois Ernest in the Salzburg Castle while she was vacationing in Europe. Lois was employed by the U.S. State Department. The next year she returned to Salzburg where she and Danilo were married. The family then moved to Maryland, and Danilo and his father, with Lois’ help, opened a clock and music box repair shop in Kensington. They started collecting antique music boxes and later expanded to all sorts of mechanical musical instruments.
In 1962 while vacationing on the coast of Maine, the family discovered the Chase house in Wiscasset was for sale. The 1852 sea captain’s home on High Street was purchased and in 1963 The Musical Wonder House was created. This beautiful house with 32 rooms was home for the family as well as a their world famous collection of antique music boxes, player pianos, cylinder and disc phonographs, crank organs, automatons, and mechanical singing bird cages, all displayed in an elegant setting filled with antiques and art.
The family also created shops called The Merry Music Box in Boothbay Harbor, Dallas, Galveston, Lexington, Mass., and Freeport. Music was always a part of his life, though Danilo did not play a musical instrument.
Danilo was predeceased by wife, Lois; father, Anton; and mother, Christa.
He is survived by many friends.
A graveside gathering of friends will be held at a later date.
