Curtis Jr. Obituary (1924 - 2008)

WAYNE - Ry Criss passed away suddenly on Nov. 9, 2008, at MaineGeneral Medical Center, Augusta. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Oct. 29, 1924, one of six children to Curtis R. Criss and Florence (Cornwall) Criss. Ry grew up in Pittsburgh and attended South Hill High School. At the age of 18, Ry joined the Army and attended the ROTC program at Colby College in Waterville. It was while attending Colby he met his future wife, Laurel Ladd. After serving in the Army Air Corps until the end of World War II, Ry married the love of his life, Laurel. In 1947, Ry and Laurel purchased a home in Wayne, where they raised their two sons, David and Paul. Ry was recalled back to service during the Korean War and stayed in the Air Force in defense of his country throughout the Cold War era and the Vietnam War. Ry was medically discharged from the Air Force in 1969 after his Strategic Air Command B-52 crashed in Greenland. After his retirement, Ry became a postmaster for the communities of Fayette, Kents Hill and East Winthrop. While serving as postmaster, Ry served on the Board of Education and then as the chairman of the Board of Selectmen in Wayne. After retiring again, he became active in the Wayne Historical Society and in the preservation of North Wayne Church. His parents, Curtis and Florence Criss; his brother, John 'Doug' Criss; and his sisters, Elizabeth Tole and Jane Navratil, predeceased Ry. He is survived by the love of his life and best friend, Laurel, of Wayne; two sons, David Criss and wife Andrea (Nason) Criss and daughter Laurel, and Paul Criss and Karen (Costello) Criss and daughter Hannah, of Wayne; four grandchildren, Paula Criss, of Worcester, Mass., Curtis R. Criss III, of New Orleans, La., and his sisters, Aida Clutter, of Washington, Pa., and Patricia Coleman, of California. A service of remembrance will be held at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 16, at North Wayne Church, 10 Church St., Wayne, with the Rev. John Olson officiating. A private family burial with full military honors is scheduled for a later date at the new Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Mount Vernon Road, Augusta. The family wishes memorial donations be sent to North Wayne Church, 10 Church St., Wayne, ME 04284. Arrangements are in the care of Roberts Funeral Home, 62 Bowdoin St., Winthrop. www.khrfuneralhomes.com