READFIELD- Andrews Leland Tolman of Readfield, Maine, died unexpectedly on Tuesday, October 22, 2024. Andy was born July 12, 1948 and grew up in Slingerlands, New York, the oldest child of the Rev. Canon Mason and Betsy (Mullens) Tolman. He left home, and his sister Laura and brother Mason, for boarding school at Mount Hermon School at 15. He went on to study at Bates College, where he met his wife and best friend Susie, a fellow Geology major. They knew they were meant to be together when they were the only two people still speaking to each other at the end of a rainy 6-week field course.
During the Vietnam War, Andy enlisted in the Army and served as part of the 3rd Infantry Battalion (The Old Guard). After completing his military service (and giving up army green for life), he moved with Susie and daughter Cary to Madison, WI, where he earned Masters Degrees in Water Resources Management and Hydrogeology from the University of Wisconsin. They then moved to Trooper, PA, where their other two children – Joel and Laurie – were born. When a job opened up at the Maine Geological Survey, Andy and Susie were excited to move back to Maine. In 1980, the family bought 100 acres of land and a run-down 200-year-old farmhouse (one volunteer family construction worker fell through the floor into the basement). They spent the next 45 years rewiring, removing lead paint, watching the forest grow back, cutting and maintaining trails, hauling their canoe to and from the peat bog each season, and creating beautiful flower and vegetable gardens.
Andy had a deep commitment to his profession as a hydrogeologist, and was active in regional and national efforts to protect drinking water and watersheds across his entire career. He loved his work and colleagues at the Maine Geological Survey, and later worked with great people at Robert G. Gerber Inc to help make sure his kids’ college dreams were within reach. He was glad to return to work at the state as Assistant Director of the Maine Drinking Water Protection Agency, a job he loved and from which he retired.
Andy loved to be needed and in community. Before and after retirement, he served on the boards of state and national water-related organizations, and particularly valued his work with the 30 Mile River Watershed Association and the Kennebec Land Trust. He put down deep roots in Readfield, and joined or was elected to most of the committees and boards that exist in town: Board of Selectmen, School Board, Planning Board, Cemetery and Budget Committee. In retirement, he joined the boards of several local theaters, the Historical Society, and others. It brought him joy to connect with people and do work that mattered, even during board meetings that lasted hours, even by Zoom during the pandemic.
Andy also loved to cook (handmade pasta and grilling were two specialties), ride his bicycle, polish his red Mazda Miata, and be on stage. He hated most board games (especially when he lost to his more competitive family members), but would sometimes consent to “advising” family members because he loved them so much. He learned to raise one eyebrow across the dinner table from his parents, and to sing during chapel at Mount Hermon. He broke into song whenever given the opportunity – in the living room, as a member of Coda Chorus, in a musical (Gilbert and Sullivan was his favorite). He discovered he loved acting later in life; he joined in dozens of plays with Monmouth Community Players, Gaslight Theater, and other groups, and never missed an opportunity to see a performance (and sing along).
His wife Susie, sister Laura Farwell Blake (husband Michael Blake), and children Cary Hanson (husband Rich Hanson, deceased), Joel Tolman (wife Jen Christiansen), and Laurie Tolman (husband Andrew Vick) are reeling from this loss. So are many, many neighbors and friends (including ones from around the world who shared his obsession with Facebook games – he never let them down when they asked for help).
People who know and love Andy are invited to a green burial at the Kennebec Land Trust’s Baldwin Hill Conservation Ceremony at 3pm on Monday, October 28th. A gathering will follow at the Weathervane Restaurant in Readfield.
Donations to your favorite local theater or conservation organization are encouraged instead of flowers.
Arrangements and guidance are in the care of Roberts Funeral Home and Cremation Care, 62 Bowdoin Street, Winthrop, Maine. Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the Roberts Funeral Home website, www.khrfuneralhomes.com