 2013 Field Day @ WS1SM |
Dana G. Cobb Portland, ME Hinsdale, ME Bradenton, FL Raymond, ME Peru, MA Ellenton, FL QCWA # 30824 Chapter 134 |
ELLENTON, Fla. - Dana G. Cobb, born May 28, 1945, in Portland, passed away Friday, Nov. 18, 2016, at Manatee Memorial Hospital in Ellenton, Fla. He was the son of Harvey B. Cobb and Winona G. Smith.
Dana grew up in Portland, in what is now the Deering area. He attended and graduated from Deering High School in 1963. He was a post graduate of Portland High School in 1964, where he met his wife, Theresa Jane Sawyer.
Dana joined the Maine Air National Guard in 1965 in South Portland. He went to Biloxi, Miss., for basic training, then to Lakeland Air Force Base, Texas, for schooling in communications. Dana, a ham radio operator (his call sign was K1RQF) since his early teens, fit right in. He earned his extra class license and was able to change his call sign to K1RQ. While serving in the reserves, Dana worked for Theresa's dad at Hanson Plymouth. He met Theresa in 1964 at Portland High School. They were married Jan. 21, 1967, in Portland. Just before their marriage, Dana had the opportunity to go to work for "Old Ma Bell," aka American Telephone and Telegraph Company in a radio relay communication station in Peru, Mass. Theresa and Dana moved to Hinsdale and Peru, Mass., area where he spent 17 years inside plant. They had two children, Susan and Stephanie. They stayed in that area until he transferred to outside plant in Chesterfield, Mass.
In 1987, the opportunity arose for him to move back to Maine after 21 years of outside plant. Dana transferred to Manchester, N.H., and lived in East Raymond, Maine.
There he was in charge of the new fiberoptic cable from Manchester to Portland, which he patrolled until his retirement from "Ma Bell" in 1999. He drove one million miles, accident free, while driving for the phone company and never had his fiber optic cable dug up. He covered five states in his travels, always on call, never knowing if he would be home at night or sitting at a job site for days, out in all kinds of weather going where ever they needed him on the job. Total time with "Ma Bell" was 34 years. He retired in 1999 after his first heart attack and moved to Florida.
Dana's hobbies were many. Ham radio was his first as a contester for several radio groups, working contest phone and CW all around the world. He helped found North East Contest Club, which became the YCCC, Yankee Clipper Contest Club, in Worcester, Mass. He also enjoyed hunting, boating, camping, and Civil War reenactment.
He and his wife Theresa joined the Civil War reenactment group, the 3rd Maine Company, out of Bath, and have been members for 30 years. After moving to Florida, they transferred to F Company, Third Maine infantry history group in the Orlando area. His father-in-law always joked that Dana was born 150 years too late, for his love and knowledge of the Civil War history.
Dana and his wife also loved to travel, and went to 48 of 50 states with their travel trailer, always going back to Maine as much as possible.
Dana and Theresa have two children, Mrs. Susan D. Szewczyk, of Saratoga Springs, New York, and husband Brian James; and Stephanie Jean Christman, of Athol, Idaho, and husband, Raymond Arthur; two grandchildren, Brooke T. Rushton, in college in Moscow, Idaho; and Katherine M. Szewczyk, in college in Fairfield, Conn. Both are to graduate in May 2017. Dana leaves behind his wife of 49 years and 10 months, high school sweethearts. Through all their travels, Maine always has been home to them.
Calling hours are Friday, Nov. 25, 2016, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Hall Funeral Home, 165 Quaker Ridge Rd., Casco, followed by a 1 p.m. funeral service. Dana will be laid to rest at Riverside Cemetery in Raymond, with his parents.