Jan E. Saleeby Obituary (1933 - 2018)

Jan Edward Saleeby passed away on July 12, 2018 at his home in East Winthrop with his family by his side. He was 85. He was born April 20, 1933, to Abraham and Arline (Henley) Saleeby in Norway, Maine. He was the first grandchild of Rasheed and Maleki Saleeby, immigrants from Lebanon and part of a close knit family. He graduated from Norway High School in 1952. In the fall of 1952, he entered the University of Maine in Orono where he played a fast-running halfback/fullback on the football team for three years while studying engineering. In 1959 he started work as an engineering aide with the Maine State Park Commission. His career there led to his becoming a licensed Professional Civil Engineer, a registered land surveyor and a registered landscape architect. He worked for state parks until he retired in 1988. During his time with State parks he designed and supervised the construction in many of the Maine State Park facilities. His passion for skiing fit in nicely with his position as Chief Engineer and Inspector for the Tramway Safety Board traveling to many ski areas in the State to inspect the ski lifts. Later he was Chairman of the Aerial Tramway Safety Board. In July of 1959 he was introduced to a Midwestern farm girl/schoolteacher who was in Maine attending a class on Marine Biology. They were married on June 26, 1960 in Nashville, Illinois. Jan was a very spiritual man who held the Bible in high regard since his childhood. His favorite scripture was Proverbs 3:5, 6. He was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in January 1973. He treasured the spiritual and practical wisdom that came from the scriptures and was very active sharing it in the door-to-door ministry. He loved to help people learn more about the wisdom and hope found in the scriptures. He also greatly enjoyed using his engineering skills in the work of designing and building Kingdom Halls in the Northeast and assisting in some international design. Jan always felt fortunate to have a job where he could spend so much time working in and with Jehovah God’s creation. He loved to design facilities using the beautiful location of trees, rocks, and boulders that he found. His appreciation of the natural world was immense - always giving God credit for it, passing that on to his family, wife June and three children, Joel, Janell and Jo Ellen. Jan was pre-deceased by his parents, Abe and Arline Saleeby; his brother Jon Saleeby; his aunts, Evelyn Tufts and Arlene Grant; his uncles Phil and Richard Saleeby and many Henley relatives. He is survived by his wife, June; his son, Joel; his daughters, Janell Burton and Jo Ellen Bryant, son-in-law Dorian Bryant, and granddaughter Victoria Burton, he also had close cousins Gail Waldron, Cleta Stockwell, Bonnie Grant and Nancy Grant, Monica Curry and Jeff Saleeby. There will be a memorial service held on August 25, 2018, at 2:00 p.m. located at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 585 Route 202, North Monmouth, ME 04265-6233. In lieu of flowers Jan preferred that donations be made to the Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 585 Route 202, North Monmouth, ME 04265-6233 or to Friends of Maine State Parks, c/o Tom Cieslinski, Treasurer, 44 Burke Street, Farmingdale, Maine 04344. Arrangements are in the care of Roberts Funeral Home, 62 Bowdoin St., Winthrop. Memories, Condolences, photos and videos may be shared with the family on the obituary page of our website at www.khrfuneralhomes.com