Paul G. "Gil" Preston Jr.

Paul Gilman Preston, Jr died on September 18, 2013 after a long battle with a rare degenerative brain disease. Gil was born on July 21, 1941 in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, the son of the late Kathleen McNerny and Paul Gilman Preston, Sr. He spent the first 10 years of his life in rural Princeton, Massachusetts, where he first developed his love of the outdoors. The family then relocated to Darien, Connecticut, where Gil completed his secondary education.

Gil was a gifted athlete who played many sports but excelled in football. He was a multiple all-state selection, led his team to a state championship, and earned a full scholarship to the University of Colorado at Boulder. Gil eventually left CU to join the US Marines and spent the next 3 years serving in Vietnam, Korea, and Japan. Upon discharge, he resumed his education earning a BS in Journalism cum laude from Boston University and an MBA from the University of Toronto.

Gil spent most of his career working on project financing and operations. After receiving his MBA, Gil returned to Connecticut, started a family, and worked for General Foods in White Plains, NY. From there he moved to Champion International Corporation in Stamford, CT, where he was in charge of the financing for all major domestic construction projects. He loved getting out of the office and working with the paper mill managers and plant engineers, trying to understand the projects from their perspectives. While at Champion, he met his wife, Anne Victoria Berg, and they were married in West Falmouth, MA in 1984.

In 1987, Gil and family moved to Maine where he switched from large to small company work. He was CFO and oversaw operations for two different wood-powered energy companies – first for Swift River Company, based in Portland, and then for Alternative Energy, Inc, based in Bangor. The final stage of his career was spent helping small companies to develop business plans and obtain financing.

Gil was a man of many talents and interests. He was a master mechanic, a plumber and carpenter, could fix any small machine, repaired furniture, grew legendary vegetable gardens, coached innumerable youth soccer teams, made pies with apples from his own trees, and played a mean game of tennis (using both hands). But most of all, his life revolved around his family. He coached all 5 children in soccer, led hikes up mountains all over Maine and New Hampshire, led the singing on long road trips, used any excuse for family ice cream outings, raced everyone down the mountain on skis, and attended countless matches, games, concerts, plays, and meets.

In addition to his parents, Gil was predeceased by his older brother Joseph Franklin Preston IV. He is survived by his wife of 29 years, Anne, of North Yarmouth, his children Ian Preston (Nina) of Saratoga Springs, NY, Rebecca Preston Mannion (Steven) of Perth, Australia, Samantha P. Travis (Paul) of Columbia Falls, MT, Amanda E. Preston of Boston, and Alexander B. Preston of North Yarmouth. He is also survived by grandchildren Matthew Preston, Kathleen and Robert Mannion, Neve and Landon Travis, and his younger brother F. Peter Preston of Cos Cob, CT.

A celebration of Gil’s life will be held on Saturday, September 21 at 1:00 at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, 396 Gilman Road, Yarmouth, ME.

Arrangements are under the care of Advantage Funeral Services, 981 Forest Ave, Portland, ME. Please visit www.advantageportland.com to sign Gil’s guest book and to send condolences to the family.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Gil’s memory may be made to:

Coastal Humane Society

190 Pleasant Street

Brunswick, ME 04011

www.coastalhumanesociety.org