Burpee, Carpenter & Hutchins Funeral Home

WARREN – Gosta Oke Meklin, 84, died Sunday, June 4, 2017, at the Sussman House in Rockport, following a brief illness.

Born June 22, 1932, on the Meklin Family Farm at Ash Point in Owls Head, which was located on the property where the Knox County Airport now sits; Oke was the son of Gosta R. and Elin H. Karlsson Meklin.

Oke began school at Ash Point, but after his family moved to West Meadow Road in Thomaston, he attended Thomaston schools, graduating Thomaston High School with the class of 1951. He worked a few years on the family’s farm before entering the United States Army in September of 1953.

Upon his return from the military, Oke worked at various jobs including Emil Rivers Machine Shop, Rockland Wholesale, an auto dealership while he lived briefly in Massachusetts, several years as a truck driver delivering feed for Knox-Lincoln Feed and a few years as manager of that company’s Co-Op Store. Oke ultimately found his vocation when he began employment with his brother at Donald E. Meklin & Sons Excavating as a heavy equipment operator. He retired in 2007, at the age of 75 after more than 35 years employment with his brother.

In his spare-time, Oke enjoyed mowing his lawn, camping at Lilly Bay on Moosehead Lake, attending equipment shows and auctions, spending time at Medomak Trading Post, going out to eat (always ordering spaghetti) and attending sporting events his grandchildren were involved in, which included the occasional dance recital. More recently he developed an affection for cats and dogs and very much loved his cat ‘Mittens’. He also often visited the camp on Washington Pond where he enjoyed just sitting and watching the goings-on on the pond.

Other than his parents, Oke was pre-deceased by his grandson Dylan Oke Meklin in 2015; two brothers, Donald E. Meklin in 2008, Kurt R. Meklin in 2015; a brother-in-law, Forrest L. Hooper, Jr. in 2004, and the mother of his children, Margaret ‘Peggy’ Meklin in 2015. He is survived by his soul-mate and wife of more than 40 years, Susan Starrett Meklin of Warren; his sons, Kevin Meklin of Brazil, Karl Meklin and his wife Elaine, Dana and his fiancée Michelle Sukeforth all of Rockland; his sister Barbara M. Hooper of Warren; two sisters-in-law, Judy Meklin of Cushing, Brenda Meklin of Rockland; three grandchildren, Samuel Meklin, Jared Meklin and Ainsley Meklin, as well as many nieces, nephews and extended family members.

Friends and relatives are invited to visit from 6:00 to 8:00 Monday evening, June 12, 2017 at Burpee, Carpenter & Hutchins Funeral Home, 110 Limerock Street, Rockland, where a funeral service will be held at 11:00 am, Tuesday, June 13th. The Reverend Andrew Stinson will officiate. Interment will be at Fairview Cemetery, Patterson Mill Road, Warren, with a reception following at the Warren IOOF Hall, Route 90.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to either the Dylan Meklin Memorial Fund, C/O Attorney James Brannan, P.O. Box 1021, Rockland, ME 04841, or Pope Memorial Humane Society of Knox County, P.O. Box 1294, Rockland, ME 04841. To share a memory or story with Oke’s family, please visit their on-line Book of Memories at www.bchfh.com.