By David Munson

HOPE - Whether he was building himself a surf board or slipping a caterpillar into the coleslaw at the family picnic, John Pearse was a man full of surprises.

John was known for his friendly personality and quiet demeanor. His many interests made him something of a Renaissance man, and he was forever pursuing new projects and bringing new ideas to the family farm on Barnestown Road in Hope.

"John was a very interesting person," said Ruth Pearse, his wife of 52 years. "I think most people think of him as a quiet, quiet farmer, but he did a lot of other things. Almost everything he heard of, he wanted to be a part of it." And be a part of it he was.

John approached life as an adventure, finding time to pursue a wide range of hobbies while still meeting the demands of family and the family farm. He was the first person in Hope to own a snowmobile and one of the first in town to own a motorcycle.

Whether it was beekeeping or photography, he seized upon a new idea and did his best to learn everything he could about it, teaching himself the skills he needed to do it right the first, time.

The Pearse family farm, a landmark in the town of Hope, has been a part of the community for more than 200 years. And John's devotion to the land inspired an appreciation for farm life in all who knew him.

The farm, which produces milk, apples, blueberries, eggs, meat, produce and timber, has received numerous awards for both conservation and product quality, a tribute to the dedication of John and his family.

John raised his children with the same patience and care with which he approached everything in life. His daughter, Mary Pearse of Auburn, remembers a father who taught by example, and never minded a little girl tagging along-whether it was out to the fields or down to the hardware store.

"I think he was the best father a daughter could ever have," said Mary. "I was one of those kids that was always asking why, why, why, and he never got cross. He was always patient and always willing to explain. He was a great dad. He was always there for us."

His daughters also remember his mischievous sense of humor. There was the time when Christmas guests were served dog treats with their coffee, and the morning Mary woke up to a bird nest in her cerial bowl instead of shredded wheat.

John's love for farm and family was an ever-present force in his life that kept him close to his home and to the earth. It was his love for his J-3 Cub airplane however, that allowed him to fly. Ruth will never forget the day he crash landed in the hayfield, or the time he flew the small plane beneath the Waldo-Hancock Bridge near Bucksport.

"When he flew under the bridge, I wouldn't go. I was too scared," she said. "But. he would get an idea and get that wild look in his eye, and there was no stopping him." John Barrett Pearse died on June 4. He is survived by his wife Ruth and two daughters Mary of Auburn and Catherine of Old Town. He was 81. His older brother willian ,and nephews Christopher and William Jr. continue to run the family farm.

(This article appeared in the B4 Times on June 9, 2004)