Burpee, Carpenter & Hutchins Funeral Home

April, 1979 I was newlly arrived in Maine with my family.  We were the new owners and operators of the Schooner Stephen Taber sailing out of Camden.  We had purchased the house at 70 Elm Street and immediately begun extensive work gutting and refitting what would become a comfortable 18th century post and beam we would occuby for the next 28 years.

Almost as soon as we began work, the motor on my table saw burned out.  I went to Rankin's where I met Frank and asked if he had such a motor in stock or, if not, could he order one from one of his catalogs.  As it turned out, he didn't have one in stock and, yes he could order one for me.  Frank had never before seen me and didn't know me from Adam's goat, but he reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring of keys.  Finding one of the keys, he explained, "this is my address and this will get you in.  Go into my basement shop and take the motor off my table saw.  It is the same motor.  Use it until I can get you a replacement."

That day I made a good friend and have been a loyal customer since.   Several years later during quite a spiteful storm that caught Hal Smith, the owner of the Towne Motel with a partially finished roof on his expansion project.  Frank showed up suddenly with an huge tarpolin and before I knew it, the two kof us were on the roof deploying it and fastening it down like two topmen on a square rigger.

To me Frank Rankin was the embodiment of the phrase: "Maine...the way life should be". 

I'm glad I knew him.  Fair winds, Frank.  We will miss you

Ken Barnes