Winthrop- Athill William Irvine, of Aroostook County, Maine, passed away on April 2, 2012, in Dunedin, Florida. He was born in Mars Hill on June 5, 1925 to Seldon and Goldie Irvine, the eldest of three sons. He joined the Army Air Corps in 1943 upon graduating from Fort Fairfield High School. He qualified to serve in the elite 63rd Bomber Squadron of the 43rd Bombardment Group of the 5th Army Air Corps, which flew of out Australia, New Guinea and the Philippines, during which time he helped to evacuate the survivors from the Japanese POW camps and was one of the first units to be based in Japan immediately after V-J day. The 63rd was one of two squadrons in the Pacific theater whose aircraft were equipped with radar designed to find naval and land targets at night, enabling these squadrons to disrupt Japan's strategy for supplying its forces in contested areas. He left the service in 1945 and enrolled in the University of Maine, graduating with an engineering degree in 1953. From 1953-1969 he worked as manager for chemical and construction-material manufacturing plants in Massachusetts, Illinois, New Jersey, New York and the Philadelphia area of Pennsylvania. From 1969 to his retirement in 1990 he worked in the papermaking felt operations of Albany International, retiring as Sales Manager for the firm's northeast region, a territory which stretched from Maine to Virginia and Michigan. He divided the time of his retirement between Winthrop, Maine, and Dunedin, Florida. Athill Irvine married Alice Louise Laflin on January 3, 1949, and they remained a devoted couple for over sixty-three years. They led a rich family life, blessed with 10 children and 13 grandchildren. In summer particularly, their home outside Winthrop swarmed with their sons and daughters, their spouses and children, all of whom Athill and Alice cherished. Despite the demands of this large family, the couple were avid golfers and led an active social life which brought them friends in all parts of the country. Uniquely gifted in working with people, Athill Irvine lived life in ways that made every contact with him a positive experience. He had an active sense of humor and a bottomless well of stories - which often as not were told for coaching as well as for amusement. Engaging and outgoing as he was, he spoke rarely of his achievements, choosing to focus on the people about him, often preferring to listen rather than talk. He was able to express his strength of character and integrity without words. He was preceded in death by two sons, Timothy and Gerard, and a brother Pete. He is sadly missed, but his presence continues to abide with his wife, Alice, his daughters and sons Ted, Cynthia, Tom, Susan, Will, Chris, Bonnie and Gordon and their spouses, with his grandchildren Matt, Jamie, Nick, Evan, Chris, Emma, Henk, Peter, Robin, Garrett, Jace, Goldie, Clara, 1 great-grandchild, Bethany, and his brother, Hollis, as well as with all those who knew him. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Friday, April 13, 2012 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Winthrop, Me. Burial will immediately follow at the new Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Mt. Vernon Avenue in Augusta. Memorial Donations may be made in his memory to The Suncoast Hospice Foundation, 5771 Roosevelt Blvd. Clearwater, FL 33760 or online at www.thehospicefoundation.org. Arrangements are in the care of Roberts Funeral Home, 62 Bowdoin Street, Winthrop. Memories, condolences, photos, and videos may be shared with the family on the obituary page of our website at www.khrfuneralhomes.com.