Obituary of Blynn Perkins Galusha

Blynn Perkins Galusha, 85, of Clinton, died Sunday, August 31, 2014, at Mount Saint Joseph nursing home in Waterville after a long battle with MS, and more recently the discovery of a large tumor on his lung. Blynn was born December 20, 1928, to Vinal and Ava Galusha at their home on Town House Hill, Clinton. Except for being away at college and in the service, he never lived anywhere else but Clinton. Blynn attended school in Clinton, and graduated from Waterville High School in 1946. While in high school, he was active in band, orchestra, track, and military drill. He attended the University of Maine in Orono, where he lettered in outdoor track. He left UMO and enlisted in the Air Force in 1948. He served during the Korean War in the Azores and Okinawa as a construction equipment operator, rebuilding roads. He was honorably discharged in 1952. Blynn married Florence Wentworth of Waterville in 1955. They met at Thomas College, where they both were studying. They lived for a short time with his parents on Spring Street in Clinton before moving to their own place on Church Street. Blynn graduated from Thomas College in 1956 with a business degree. In 1958, they bought a house on Mutton Lane, where they have lived ever since. Blynn took over the business his father had started in 1936, Galusha's Garage on Main Street. He also added three stores of his own, The Early Bird Markets in Winslow, Waterville, and Fairfield. He was a past president of the Maine Grocers Association, on the Board of Directors at Associated Grocers of Maine, and very active in the National Association of Convenience Stores. Blynn and Florence had two children, Jennifer and Jay. Jay now runs Galusha's as the third-generation owner, and Jennifer does the bookkeeping there. Blynn had 63 years of continuous membership in the American Legion Post 186 in Clinton. He was a member of the Poverty Flats Flying Club back in the 1960s and '70s where he enjoyed flying with his best friend Dick Goodwin, brother-in-law Harold Stinson, and many other pilots. Blynn was a longtime member of the Clinton Lions Club and a past King Lion. In his retirement years, when he wasn't off on an adventure, he spent many hours doing grounds maintenance at the Lions Fairgrounds. Blynn served on the Clinton Comprehensive Planning Committee, and was a member of the Clinton Board of Selectmen, serving as chairman of the board from 1999 to 2001. He loved spending time at his camp in Prince Edward Island. He and Florence traveled there in the early 1960s, loved it, and spent several years looking for a place to buy. They settled in Launching and have spent time there almost every summer since. Blynn loved to putter around camp, bush-hogging the property, making roads, draining swamps, building a barn, cutting trees, and digging ditches. Blynn was a great adventurer and loved to travel. He and Florence traveled to the Southwest several times before she was struck by a truck in 1992. After that, Blynn did most of his traveling solo. He explored Newfoundland and Labrador, Mexico, Central America, South America, The Galapagos Islands, and even a trip to Antarctica. One of his longest trips was in 2002 when he signed up for the Trek of The Americas South American Expedition. He traveled in his motorhome from Clinton all the way to the southern tip of South America with several other motorhomes, caravan style. He ventured off on his own a few times and had several mishaps, including dipping his motorhome in a river while trying to load onto a ferry using planks, and spending three days mired in mud in the middle of the Amazon rain forest. During that trip, he checked out the El Tajin Ruins in Mexico, explored glaciers and waterfalls, and traveled the Amazon River on a barge. He also totaled his motorhome by rolling it down an embankment while hurrying to catch up with his group. He ended up having to fly home from the expedition, but to him that was just another part of the adventure. Blynn was predeceased by his parents, Ava and Vinal Galusha of Clinton. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Florence (Wentworth) Galusha; his daughter Jennifer Galusha and her partner Bruce Mitchell of Burnham; his son Jay Galusha and his girlfriend Diane Tjelmeland of South China; his sister Jane Stinson of Clinton; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins. Friends and family are invited to visit at Blynn's home at 18 Mutton Lane in Clinton on Monday, September 8, between 3 and 7 p.m. A private burial will be held at a later date at the Green Lawn Rest Cemetery in Clinton. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Clinton Lions Club, care of Coleen Bean, P.O. Box 201, Clinton, ME 04927. - See more at: http://obituaries.onlinesentinel.com/obituaries/mainetoday-morningsentinel/obituary.aspx?n=blynn-perkins-galusha&pid=172339826#sthash.um7tjzJ4.dpuf