Obituary

Gifford S. Horton

KITTERY POINT - Gifford S. Horton, 85, of Welaka, Fla., died at his Kittery Point summer home on July 27, 2006, after a brief illness.

He was born in Perth Amboy, N.J., on Sept. 5, 1920, the son of Lucien B. and Roberta S. Horton. He attended Aiken prep school, Kent School and Yale University, class of 1943. He served in the United States Marine Corps during WWII as a drill instructor at Pariss Island. He also attended officer candidate school and was commissioned before serving in the Pacific. During the Korean conflict, he served as a captain and company commander and was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star.

In 1949, he married Lois Minter Mabley of Indianapolis. He worked in New York City for a large mercantile company, later moving to Ithaca, N.Y., where he owned and operated a small supply company. In 1968 he became a math teacher at Brooks School, North Andover, Mass., and in 1970 he began building an imposing home of his own design on the waterfront in Kittery Point, with his own hands and those of his sons. It has six levels, spiral staircases, decks and porches and a small elevator. Upon retirement, he and his wife traveled annually throughout Europe.

He was a focused watercolorist. Hundreds of his marine landscapes and architectural renderings grace his homes and those of his friends. He wrote a journal of his activities every day from April 1980 until two weeks before he died. He played the piano and sang. He was well read. He experimented with wind energy and ultimately heated his swimming pool with a solar collector he built. He was constantly building wonderful things. He was a gentleman.

He is survived by his wife, Lois Minter Mabley Horton; son, Cleaveland Forbes Horton and his wife, Darcy Scott; son Andrew Mabley Horton and his wife, Mary Garver Horton, and daughter Patience Gifford Horton. His grandchildren are C. Forbes Horton, Nathan Horton, Andrew Horton, Elizabeth Horton, Tom Horton and Rebecca Horton.

The funeral service will be held at Trinity Church, York Harbor, on Aug. 5 at 10 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Trinity Church, P.O. Box 323, York Harbor, ME 03911.