Obituary of Joe Allen Rehmeyer

Joe Allen Rehmeyer, resident of Liberty, Maine, died at his home on January 8, 2018 at the age 69 years. Joe was born in Stewartstown, Pennsylvania on May 10, 1948. He served in the US Army from 1971-1974, including a 369-day tour of duty in Vietnam in 1972. Joe fell in love with Maine and his hiking partner when he and his now wife of 35-years, Barbara Silverstrim Rehmeyer, walked the Appalachian Trail from Southern Pennsylvania to Maine in 1979. Joe trained at Kennebec Valley Community College and became first an LPN and then an RN. He worked as a nurse for 25 years and would tell you that he enjoyed taking care of his patients but despised the paperwork. He fought valiantly against clinical depression for many years, and more recently peritoneal mesothelioma. Joe enjoyed gardening and hiking. You could often see him walking along Marshall Shore Road picking up garbage and taking photographs of the lake. His daughter and son-in-law recently compiled these photographs into a book, An Eye For Lake St. George, which will be available soon for anyone interested in purchasing one. Joe was a talented artist and for the last few years he worked primarily with paper collage. Perhaps you saw his work displayed at the Liberty Library or on Facebook/email posts. He will be sadly missed by his wife, Barb; daughters, Emily (Michael) Boudreaux of Cedar Park, Texas and Megan (Micah) Brewer of Portland, Maine; son, Benjamin (Vanessa) Rehmeyer and grandchildren, Lydia, Samuel, and Timothy of Dedham, Maine; and brothers Edwin (Judy) Rehmeyer of Branden, Florida, and David Rehmeyer of Wellington, New Zealand. His sisters, Jean Pepe and Ann Kietzman, predeceased him. Many dear friends that he made at the Maine Coast Men Weekends will fondly remember him. Joe and Barb are grateful for everyone who attended the Open House celebration held in his honor at their home in September. Memorial donations may be made to the Liberty Library, PO Box 280, Liberty, ME 04949 for a bench in Joe’s memory in front of the Library.