Obituary of Arthur B. Cross

Arthur B. Cross, Sr., 88, passed away October, 2, 2020. He was born on January 5, 1932, to parents Hovey and Edith Cross. Arthur grew up on the family farm in Morrill and graduated from Crosby High School. On July 14, 1954, he married the love of his life, Alcyone Littlefield Cross, and together they shared 62 years of love and companionship at their home in Waldo. As a boy, Arthur was an avid outdoorsman. He loved to hunt and fish to provide for the family. Records of his adventures were documented by his mother in journals, which is a tradition carried on today by his oldest son Art. Arthur enjoyed gardening and grafting fruit trees, and there are many trees still on the family farm that bear multiple types of apples every year. He was also passionate about beekeeping all the way through childhood until his later years at the farm. His spectacular raspberries were a favorite that many families from Maine and beyond looked forward to each summer. Arthur took great pride in his marksmanship skills and was awarded medals for his talents. He shared his passion for hunting and fishing with his four sons, and many friends can recount the myriad of stories of his family’s adventures that Arthur loved to tell. It was common to see a group of people sitting around him, just listening to the tales and enjoying each other’s company. Arthur was employed at Mathew Brothers for many years, where he was affectionately known by his co-workers as “the old rugged Cross.” Arthur’s greatest love was his family. He and Alcyone raised four boys of whom he was extremely proud. Dad taught his sons how to hunt and fish, garden, and be good stewards of natural resources. That legacy continues with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Arthur was predeceased by his wife Alcyone and is survived by his four sons and their wives: Arthur Jr. and Catherine Cross of Knox, Randal and Amanda Cross of Harpswell, Dale and Stephanie Cross of Morrill, and Donald and Laurie Cross of Morrill. Gramp leaves wonderful memories with his grandchildren and their spouses: Shannon and Timothy Sommer, Caryn and Christopher Coleman, Cheyenne and Ryan Lister, Aaron and Cassie Cross, Jason Cross and Gretchen Upson, Caitlin and Richard May, Ashleigh Cross, Whitney and Darren Harriman, Andrew Cross, Lindsey Cross, Will Agius, and Fiona Agius. His fifteen great-grandchildren include Siena, Elena, Olivia and Easton Sommer; Camilla, Quinn and Alcyone Coleman; Emery and Stella Lister; Charlotte, Grace, Caleb, Annabelle and Josephine Cross; and Lucy May. Arthur was predeceased by his sisters Dorothy Rooney and Thelma Davis. He is survived by a large family of brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law with whom he was extremely close. He also leaves behind an extended family of nieces and nephews. A graveside service will be held on Wednesday, October 7 at 4:00pm at the Littlefield Cemetery on the Savage Road in Belfast.