Donald was born Sept. 23, 1938, in Portland. His mother was Elizabeth Burroughs Spiller Trott, and his birth father was Shirley Spiller. Arthur Trott was his father figure from a very young age .
Don married Carole Ann Warren Spiller on June 17, 1961, after dating for four years, and they would have celebrated 55 years of marriage this month, on June 17!
They raised two wonderful sons, Arthur Warren Spiller, married to Heidi, of Pearland, Texas, and Andrew William Spiller, married to Maggie, of Forney, Texas. They gave Don three beautiful grandchildren: Alexandria, 11, and Brady, 8, the children of Art and Heidi; and Katherine, 9, daughter of Andy and Maggie.
He also loved Carole’s sisters and their husbands – Cindy and Chuck Estano, and Babs and David Field – his cousins, including Nancy, Eleanor and Roger; and many nieces and nephews.
Don was a graduate of the University of Maine, with a degree in mechanical engineering, and a pulp and paper scholarship for a fifth year in pulp and paper technology. He graduated in 1961, and went to work for Bird-Machine Co. in Walpole, Massachusetts. He also worked for Container Corp. of America for many years in Wabash, Indiana, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and finished his career at Kadant/Black Clawson in Ohio.
He traveled all over the world trouble-shooting and installing paper machines, and was respected in the industry. He still found time to be a Scout leader and Cubmaster of the Pack in Foxboro, Massachusetts, and Wabash, Indiana. He loved working with children, and joined the Optimist Club in Audubon, Pennsylvania, to participate in their many youth projects.
He also loved golf, bowling, reading, the New England Patriots, the Boston Red Sox, “The Big Bang Theory,” CHOCOLATE!!! and watching a young buck feast under the mulberry tree in front of the picture window! He was an avid water skier in his younger years, in Naples.
Don retired in 2008, at the age of 70. He enjoyed traveling to visit his children in Texas and family in Maine, as well as cruises to Bermuda and Alaska and travels to Cancun, Hawaii and the Bahamas, before having a stroke in 2011. His life presented many health challenges, but he always had a smile on his face, and never complained!
He wanted to thank Judy Bigelow, his visiting nurse; Dick Savini, his visiting physical therapist; and John Hendricks, his health aide; for their dedicated service and friendship.
The family will be holding Interment services at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Saco in July, and asks that donations to the American Heart Association and American Cancer Society be made in his honor in lieu of flowers. He was also was a big supporter of St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, and would be happy for them to receive donations as well.
The family will hold a celebration of his life at 1 p.m. July 9 at Cindy and Chuck’s, 256-A Buxton Road, Saco.
The family thanks Terry at Alleva Funeral Home, a Dignity Memorial facility, for his help at this difficult time.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.