Robert M. Record '55

The family of Robert Maynard Record, 86, of Littleton, New Hampshire, is saddened to

announce his passing away on June 25, 2024.

 

Bob (“Bobby”) was born on July 16, 1937, to the kindest, most loving parents, Helen

Quincy and Maynard Record of North Fryeburg, Maine. He was the third of four

children. He played and worked hard as a child hunting, fishing, building, and helping

out at his father’s store.

 

He graduated from Fryeburg Academy in 1955, having fulfilled a happy, mischievously

harmless high school career, as he was known to have infectious dry humor, while

playing pranks and delivering one-liner jokes effortlessly. All with a smirky smile, he

was forever described as Hollywood handsome.

 

He started his Forestry Technician career with the U.S. Forest Service December 22,

1955, kickstarting a 39-year career in the civil service and retiring on May 3, 1994. Are

the exact dates necessary, you ask? Well, apparently Bob was told by a Ranger in 1955

“Don’t trust the personnel department, they lose everything.” Bob heeded that advise

and kept all of his paperwork, records, diaries, journals, weather reports, almanacs,

receipts, news articles, photos, stories, awards....enough so, that Bob was able to

recount his time in the Forest Service and Army and after he retired he wrote his

memoires. He also fought many blazing forest fires throughout the western United

States during the 1980’s.

 

Bob served with honor as an MP in the United States Army Third Armored Division

from 1960 to 1962, and four more years in the Reserves. While stationed in Carlise

Barricks, PA, the dutiful, young MP had the privilege of guarding and stopping traffic

(and saluting) President Eisenhower as he shuffled across the roadway with his

entourage. In 1961, Bob was stationed in Germany during the Cold War and Berlin

Wall construction (yes, this was also the time and place Elvis was stationed). He made

it back to U.S. soil in 1962 and exclaimed that he was “glad to be alive” and in 1964 he

was granted and Honorable Discharge, which was so befitting of Bob’s careers. Bob was

an honorable American and led an honest, respectful, conscientious life.

 

In 1968, Bob married the most beautiful woman he met while she was sunbathing,

Margaret Tyler Reed of Bethel, Maine. He became a father to her two children and

went on to have two more children. Bob chivalrously moved his family across the

country three times in the next few decades, having accepted new jobs on different

Ranger Districts in Alaska (Tongas National Forest), Michigan (Huron-Manatee

National Forest) and back to the White Mountain National Forest in New Hamphsire,

where he started.

 

In Bob’s retirement years he enjoyed various hobbies that kept everyone happy looking

forward to such gifts such as lovely, homemade walking sticks.

 

Bob was predeceased by his mother and father, grandparents, brother James Record,

sister Marlene “Fernie” Hill, brother-in-law James G Hill, son Theodore “Teddy” Reed,

grandson William Tyler Reed, as well as numerous cousins, aunts and uncles. He is

survived by his wife, Margaret Stella Record, daughter, Tara Lynn (Mike) Tragakiss,

son Travis Robert Record, daughter Tammy (Jeff) Mills, daughter-in-law Carrie Reed;

brother Russell Record (Margie) grandchildren, Samuel Reed, Courtney Reed (Matt)

Rolleston, Caroline Reed (John) Armstrong, Olivia Mills (Ragner) Jaeger, Robert

Sterling Mills, Michael Tragakiss, Grace Tragakiss, Rick Chester, Molly Chester (Eric)

Brockmeyer and numerous great grandchildren.