John Frederick Leslie, known as “Jack,” died Sept. 19 at his home in Brunswick.
Mr. Leslie was born July 10, 1911 in Rochester, N.Y., the son of Charles Welby Leslie and Helen Buckley Leslie. He spent his childhood in Wellesley Hills, Mass., attending schools there and finishing at Avon Old Farms School in Connecticut. His family spent each summer by the Sheepscot River in Alna, which established his lifelong love of Maine.
From 1937 to 1941, Mr. Leslie and his twin brothers, Julian and Parke, built and operated the Moose Mountain Lodge in Etna, N.H., which had one of the first ski tows in New England. He then joined the U.S. Army, serving in the 26th Artillery Division, which supplied fuel to General Patton’s armored pursuits in Europe during WWII. After the war, Mr. Leslie worked briefly in the investment business in Boston and then became a designer for Victory Plastics in Hudson, Mass.
In 1943, he married Joan Warland of Wiscasset, with whom he raised two sons and two daughters. In 1952, he moved his family from Massachusetts to Brunswick and joined his brothers in operating the Casco Bay Trading Post in Freeport. In 1958, he opened the Casco Bay Country Store in Brunswick, which he ran until his retirement in 1981.
Mr. Leslie was a great outdoorsman and sport, enjoying fishing and hunting as well as skiing, golf, and tennis. His artistic sensibility found expression in his gardens. He delighted in any festive occasion, and particularly loved family gatherings.
He is survived by his wife; sons, John Frederick Leslie Jr. of Los Angeles, Cal. and wife Laura Ornest, and Seaver Leslie of Wiscasset and wife Anne; daughter, Kate Leslie Mann of Kensington, Md. and husband Neil; sister, Gloria Eisemann of Manchester, Mass.; and eight grandchildren, four boys and four girls.
His daughter, Constance Leslie Barker, predeceased him.
Memorial service 2 p.m., Sat., Sept. 23 at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Wiscasset.
Contributions in memory of Mr. Leslie may be made to the Morris Farm Trust, P.O. Box 136, Wiscasset, ME 04578.
