Willard Elgin Pike

1932 – 2021

Westbrook – Willard (Willie) Pike passed away peacefully on May 15, 2021 in the apartment he shared with his wife, Ruthie, at the Avita of Stroudwater memory care facility.

Wille was born in June of 1932, the son of Alice and Elmer Pike. He grew up in Gorham, Maine with his six siblings, four older (Kenneth, Stanley, Marion, and Mary) and two younger (Earl and Carl).

After graduating from Gorham High School, Willie went on to various jobs including truck driving and machine shop foreman, and served in the US Army 1953 – 1955. He met the love of his life, Ruthie, in 1960. They had actually known each other from high school but it was later as adults that they met again and fell in love. They married and blended his daughter from a previous marriage and her two daughters from a previous marriage into a family, soon joined by two more children.

Willie built an interest in antique cars into a very successful business spanning decades. His pursuit of antique cars led to travels all over the country. Many of the cars that passed through his business ended up in countries all over the world. It was fascinating to attend the big antique car auctions with him and see cars that he had once owned and to hear the history of those cars, what collections they had been in. An excellent mechanic, Willie frequently used those skills to fix cars for people who could not afford to pay for the necessary repairs. He also was known to plow driveways free for folks who were struggling to make ends meet.

In addition to travel for business, he and Ruthie enjoyed travel for its own sake, or to visit far-flung family, even driving to Alaska when their son lived there. Bar Harbor was always a special place for them. They wintered in Arizona for a number of years and made Sun Lakes their permanent year-round residence in the mid 80’s. In 2017 they moved back to Maine to be near family as they dealt with Willie’s dementia diagnosis.

Willie is survived by his wife Ruthie of Westbrook, daughter Patricia Hatch of Urbana, IL, daughter Marie Pike and her husband John Manderino of Scarborough, daughter Susan Lofgren of Gorham, son John Pike and his fiancée Marian Chamberlain of Standish, daughter Katherine Pike of Berthoud, CO, grandchildren: Kristen Vreeland and husband Jake, Derek Lofgren and wife Theresa, Kari Lofgren, Adrienne Pike, Jessica DeYoung and husband Brian, Isaac Hatch and Grace Hatch; and six great grandchildren: Indra Pike. Kendra DeYoung, Kaleb Lofgren, Kaia Lofgren, Abby Lowell, and Carter Lofgren. Two brothers, Earl and Carl, survive Willie, and two sisters-in-law, Earl’s wife Joyce and Stanley’s wife Sue. He is predeceased by his parents, siblings Kenneth, Stanley, Marion Morton, Mary Loeffler, and in-laws John Loeffler, George Morton, Lois Pike and Phyllis Pike.

The family wants to thank the staff of Gorham House, Avita of Stroudwater, and Compassus Hospice for their dedication and compassion in providing quality care for Willie during these past four years.

As Willie wished, there will be no funeral or memorial service. For anyone wishing to honor his memory, the family suggests donating to the Alzheimer’s Association or to the Greater Portland Animal Refuge League.