Gardner N. Moulton Sr. ’47

Gardner N. Moulton Sr. ’47 died on December 4, 2015, in Bangor, Maine.

(The following was published in the Bangor Daily News on December 7, 2015):

BANGOR – Gardner N. Moulton, M.D. of Bangor died peacefully at home with his children at 2:15 AM on December 4, 2015. He was born April 25, 1926 at home at 199 State Street, Bangor, Maine and was the youngest of the four children of Manning C. Moulton, M.D. and Ina Nelson Moulton.

Gardner was raised in Bangor, spending his summers at Green Lake. He attended Bangor schools, was in the Bangor High School class of 1944. He attended both Bowdoin College and Holy Cross College, graduating from Bowdoin in 1946. He received his M.D. degree from the University of Rochester, N.Y. in 1950.

He commenced his training as an eye physician and surgeon at the Wilmer Institute of Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland where he met his future wife, Bonnie Rush of El Paso, Texas, a head nurse at Hopkins. They were married in El Paso in 1951. His residency was interrupted by two years of service in the Navy Medical Corps, serving a tour of duty with the 1st Marine Division in Korea during the Korean War.

Following the war, Gardner continued his training with a residency and fellowship in ophthalmology at Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri. Returning to Bangor in 1955, he joined his father’s practice of ophthalmology. He was in turn joined in 1988 by his son, Paul, in the same practice.

Gardner was on the staffs of both the Eastern Maine Medical Center and the St. Joseph Hospital. At the latter he served terms as chief of the eye service, president of the medical staff, and chief of staff.

He moved to Orono in 1956 where he and his wife raised their family. Upon retiring in 1992, they moved into the family home on State Street just one block from his place of birth.

Having lived next to the golf course for 36 years, Gardner tried his hand at golf a few times but found it rather boring and considered it a waste of time, and besides he didn’t play very well. His family were avid skiers for over 12 years until he broke his ankle. He was an enthusiastic scuba diver for many years until he ran out of air in 70 feet of water. He enjoyed playing soprano clarinet with the Stammtisch German Band for over 40 years until people stopped listening. He and his wife were frequent world travelers until walking became too difficult. He visited all the continents except one. Having spent over 70 winters in Maine, four winters on the south shore of Lake Ontario, and one winter living in a tent on the top of a mountain in Korea he figured he hadn’t missed anything by not visiting Antarctica! Following his retirement, he pursued his life-long interest in fine woodworking at his personal workshop in the Bomarc Industrial Park.

Gardner was predeceased by his wife Bonnie of over 51 years, a new born son Thomas, his son Gardner, Jr., his sisters Virginia Emery and Margaret McKee, and his brother Robert.

He is survived by his daughters, Bonnie Pedersen of Covington, Louisiana, Elizabeth Feltmate of Newport; his son Paul Moulton of Bangor; three grandchildren, four great grandchildren, and cousins, nephews, and nieces.

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