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Obituary for John Payson Fogler

John Payson  Fogler
Exeter - John Payson Fogler, 91, died peacefully at his home in Exeter on February 2, 2017. He was born in New York City on June 24, 1925 to Raymond Henry and Mabel Peabody Fogler. He was raised in New York and Illinois and graduated from Culver Military Academy in 1944. Immediately upon graduation he enlisted in the Army and served as a paratrooper in Europe during WWII. He was awarded a Purple Heart for his service during the Battle of the Bulge. At the war's end he enrolled at the University of Maine in Orono and earned a degree in Animal Husbandry. It was at the University that he met his future wife, Elaine “Punky” Perkins.

John and Elaine were married in 1949 and settled in Exeter on the farm started by his maternal grandparents. The farm, known then and now as Stonyvale, consisted of 160 acres of land and 25 cows. John slowly increased the size of the farm and while doing so, became a leader in local, state, and national agriculture. He was highly respected for his stewardship of the land and was instrumental in developing new conservation techniques. In 1982, John was awarded the Gulf Oil Corporation Conservation Award, and in 1986 he was named Deputy Commissioner of Agriculture for the State of Maine. John served on the School Board, the Exeter Board of Selectmen, and was a faithful parishioner at the Corinna United Methodist Church. He was also was actively involved with numerous organizations including both the State and Penobscot County Soil and Water Conservation Commissions, Farm Bureau, Farmers Home Administration, and The University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service. John's greatest legacy is that Stonyvale is now a fifth generation family farm recognized as a leader in the dairy industry.

John was predeceased by his wife Elaine; his brothers Henry, William, and Thomas; and his sisters Mary and Ruth. He is survived by his sister, Martha Hobbs, and two sisters-in-law, Peggy Davis and Sally Fogler. He is also survived by his seven children; Lee and his wife Brenda, Bill and his wife Jeanine, Bob and his wife Marcia, Susan and her husband Peter, Mary Ellen and her husband Chuck, Richie and his wife Mary, and Rindy and her wife Elise, as well as 16 grandchildren, 18 great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. There was nothing “Big John” enjoyed more than time spent at the farm with family and friends from near and far. The family would like to extend a special thank you to Marcia Hopkins, who helped care for John during the last two years of his life, as well as to Hospice of Eastern Maine which provided comfort and support to both John and his family.

Relatives and friends are invited to call from 5-7 p.m. Friday, February 10, 2017 at Brookings-Smith 133 Center St., Bangor. A funeral service with Military Honors will be held 1:00 p.m. Saturday, February 11, 2017 at the Corinna United Methodist Church, 16 Dexter Road, Corinna, with the Rev. Terry Mckinley, pastor, officiating. The family invites relatives and friends to share conversation and refreshments at the Cornerstone Baptist Church, 1195 Stetson Road, Exeter immediately following the service on Saturday. Those wishing to remember John in a special way may make gifts in his memory to the Corinna United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 418, Corinna, Maine 04928. Interment will be held later in the spring at the Maine Veterans Cemetery, Augusta. Condolences to the family may be expressed at www.BrookingsSmith.com.

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Affiliations


Purple Heart Award from the U.S. Military

US Army
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