Dwight Charles Blakeman

Dwight Charles Blakeman, known as Chuck, passed away on January 16th, six years after being diagnosed with Frontotemporal Dementia. Born April 16, 1945 in Orange County, CA to Frank and Doramay Blakeman. Chuck and his family moved to Sundance, WY at the end of WWII---a home that undeniably shaped the man he became. Chuck proudly joined the US Navy where he was part of the crew on Patrol Squadron VP Twenty One. He then graduated from the University of Maine. Chuck worked for USF&G before deciding to start his own company. Together with his wife, Betty, he started BECC, Inc., a geotechnical engineering firm named for his family.

A devoted father and grandfather, Chuck shared a close bond with his children and eleven grandchildren, all of whom affectionately called him Papa Chuck. He was especially proud of his son Eric’s tennis achievements, including his professional career, and both Eric and Carrie’s dedication and character. While Chuck loved sports, his greatest joy came from encouraging others and celebrating effort, fairness, and sportsmanship.

Chuck was deeply committed to his community, officiating youth hockey, coaching Little League baseball, and helping support local tennis tournaments, including one later dedicated in memory of his late wife, Betty, whose loss he carried with him throughout his life. Chuck was preceded in death by his first wife, Betty Roy Blakeman. He is survived by his present wife, Molly, with whom he shared over two decades of love, friends, family gatherings, travel, and treasured Red Sox games. His daughter Carrie and son Eric (Jodi); stepdaughter Megan Cardillo (Joe), stepson Schuyler Fauver (Kerry), as well as eleven grandchildren: Abigail, Noah, Jake, Eliza, Kyra, Teagan, Philip, Oliver, and Leo, Sydney and Harrison and his wife Bella. They all affectionately called him Papa Chuck, a nickname he cherished. One of his favorite memories was piling them all in the back of his 1929 Ford Model A truck and riding in the Yarmouth Clam Festival Parade. Chuck is also survived by his two brothers, Dale and Daniel, and their wives, Erika and Marcia, and their children as well as many cousins still residing in Wyoming.

Chuck’s final years were spent at The Cedars in Portland where he received exceptional care and was provided the sense of community that he prioritized in his life. His family is beyond grateful.

A Celebration of his life will be held this summer, with burial at Holy Cross Cemetery in Yarmouth. Donations in his memory may be made to the Enrichment in Daily Living Fund at The Cedars, 630 Ocean Avenue, Portland, Maine 04103, or to The Bluefield Project to Cure Frontotemporal Dementia, 236 West Portal Avenue, #294, San Francisco, CA 94127.