Obituary of Garrett James Lovett

BANGOR - Garrett James Lovett, 100, passed away peacefully on June 10, 2026. Born in Bangor on April 8, 1926, Garrett James Lovett was the son of Clara (Hay) Lovett and Charles Hancock Lovett.

He attended St. John's Catholic School, John Bapst High School, and Beal College. After marrying Joan Arsenault in 1950, he settled in Hermon, where together they built the family that became the center of his life. Garrett and Joan shared 73 years of marriage, raising nine children and creating a home filled with love, structure, and enduring family bonds. To their children, they were a united team whose devotion to one another never wavered. Garrett's loyalty to Joan was steadfast throughout their marriage and remained so through the challenges of her later years.

For his entire working career, Garrett was employed in the Traffic Department of the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad, helping establish freight rates and contributing to an industry that helped connect communities throughout Maine. He was a dependable and dedicated employee who believed in doing his job well and providing for his family. Beyond his devotion to family and work, Garrett believed in serving his community. He was active as a Boy Scout leader, served on the Hermon School Board, including a term as chairman, and contributed his time to several town committees.

Though a man of few words, Garrett's presence was unmistakable. Family members remember his optimistic nature, the familiar sound of him humming or whistling as he went about his day, and his cheerful morning greeting of "Rise and shine." In a household of nine children, his voice carried both warmth and authority.

Garrett found some of his greatest happiness at the family camp, where generations gathered to swim, boat, and enjoy summers together. There, he taught children to swim, gave rides in the boat, watched over countless adventures from the porch, and quietly helped create many of the family's most treasured memories. The camp became a place where family bonds were strengthened and where Garrett's steady presence could always be felt.

In April, Garrett celebrated his 100th birthday surrounded by family. While he appreciated the milestone, what brought him the greatest happiness was seeing all nine of his children return to be together once again. Family was the great work of his life. The home he and Joan built, the children they raised, and the generations that followed were the accomplishments of which he was most proud. That family remained his greatest joy to the very end.

Garrett was predeceased by his beloved wife, Joan Arsenault Lovett. He is survived by his children, Elaine Lovett, Ellen Scripture and her husband, Mike, Garrett Lovett Jr., Charles Lovett, Dennis Lovett and his wife, LouAnn, Robert Lovett, Stephen Lovett, Jan Hedrich and her husband, Greg, and Jon Lovett and his wife, Darlene; 14 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

His century of life was marked not by public acclaim, but by devotion - to his wife, his children, his work, and the family he helped build. His legacy lives on in the generations that follow and in the countless memories they carry forward.

Family and friends are invited to visit 11 a.m. to noon, Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at Kiley & Foley Funeral Service, 299 Union St., Bangor. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated that day at 1 p.m. at St. Paul the Apostle Parish, St. Mary's Church, 768 Ohio St., Bangor. Messages and memories may be shared with his family at kileyandfoley.com.