Obituary of James M. McSpadden

James “Bub” McSpadden, 62, of Freedom went to be with the Lord on December 8, 2021, in Belfast. He was born in Indiana to Maxine and Don McSpadden. His childhood may have been full of mischief, but through it all was woven a strong love for God, his family, and his country. He went on to marry Vanessa Gilbert and together they had a boy named Joshua Michael, and two years later, a girl they named Hannah Ruth. Another boy joined their family, and they named him Matthew James. They thought their family was complete, but God had other plans. Years later, another daughter joined their family through adoption. Her name (amazingly enough!) was Hanna Lee. Through the years, Bub's passion was teaching. Most notably, he taught at Grace Christian School, Canaan Christian School, and most recently Temple Academy. At each school, he worked hard to instill in his students, first of all, a love for God, and a knowledge that without the Savior, life is pointless. Secondly, he excitedly taught his students history, seeking to instill in them knowledge, curiosity, and a true understanding of history and government, both the good and the bad, with the wisdom to see which was which. Such lessons as “Where does the government get money? Taxes or printing!” were taught with enthusiasm. It became much more than a job, it was his ministry, his passion. He worked and spoke at several Christian summer camps through the years. His focus was always on bringing kids to Christ while helping them have the best summer of their lives. Most recently, God had called him to be the pastor of a church, and it thrilled him to be called “Pastor Bub”. The people at Getchell Street Baptist church loved and enjoyed him as he served them while still teaching at Temple Academy. We believe his favorite calling and ministry in his life, though, was his grandchildren. Josh and Karen McSpadden have three children; Ember Rose- 15, River Lynn- 12, and Piper Haven-10 Hannah and Eli Lewin have 6 children: Josiah Gabriel- 14, Ksena Blessing-8, Brissa Haven-5, Hosanna Joy- 4, Arrow Michael- 3, and Gideon Samuel- 2. Matt and Christina McSpadden have six children: Richard Bowen- 9, Noah Lochlan-7, Karina Kazmira-5, Bridget Kitin- 3, and Audrey Kathleen and Ava Beverly- 2. Teaching them, loving them, rocking and playing, and reading to them. His love for them shone out like a beacon. There are so many people, so many lives, so many stories. We can only write a fraction of his life here, as his love for Christ and his passion for people impacted more lives than we can count. Though we miss him deeply, if we could ask him how he is right now, in the presence of his Lord and Savior, without a doubt we'd hear, “I'm finer than a frog's hair split three ways!” A celebration of his life will be held at 12 noon on Tuesday, December 14, 2021, at Knox Ridge Baptist Church 115 Knox Ridge Rd N, Knox, ME, immediately followed by a viewing and reception time. Donations may be made in his memory to Temple Academy 60 West River Road Waterville, ME 04901. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at vwww.ripostfh.com Arrangments are under the care of Riposta Funeral Home.