Capt. G. David Fenderson ’56

G. David Fenderson, Captain USNR, 85, died peacefully on December 9, 2019 at Maine Medical Center after brief illness. G. David Fenderson was born in Belfast, Maine and was the eldest son of Harold I. and Georgie Whitehead Fenderson.

Dave “Fendy” Fenderson attended South Portland High School where he was the Varsity Football team Captain. In 1951 his team won the school’s first State Championship. In Dave’s senior year he was named to the WPOR All State Team and voted by Thornton Academy to their All Opponent Team.
Upon graduating South Portland High School, Dave attended Maine Central Institute to prepare for matriculation into Maine Maritime Academy. While at MCI Dave played on the 1953 State of Maine Prep School Championship Team.

At Maine Maritime Academy, he served as a Cadet Officer and was Co-Captain of the Mariner Football Team. Dave graduated in 1956 with a degree in Marine Engineering and went on to pursue a career as an officer in the Navy. Dave was elected to the Maine Maritime Wall of Honor, the Bill Mottola Sports Hall of Fame, and was past President of the Maine Maritime Academy Alumni Association.

Dave was commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant and assigned to the carrier USS Cape Esperance and then the USS Cotton as a Chief Engineer. Dave’s last active duty assignment was serving as the Chief Engineer on the USS Cassin Young DD-793. While serving on the Cassin Young in Montego Bay, Dave met Margaret, his wife of 60 Years. During his years in the Naval Reserve, he was the Commanding Officer in Burlington, VT and Portland, ME, and on the Admiral’s Readiness Command in Newport, RI. Dave retired from the Naval Reserve after reaching the rank of Captain.

Dave began his work career as a Service Engineer for Hyde Windlass in Bath, Maine and in 1961 began a long tenure with Texaco. Dave held many leadership positions within Texaco, and in 1976 he and Margaret started their own petroleum distributorship, Maine Lubrication Service.

With the help of many long term and loyal employees as well as industry leading innovations, Maine Lubrication Service grew to have national prominence and prestige. In 1999 Dave retired from his business to explore his passions.

Dave had many interests and associations in which he was involved with. He was a silent philanthropist and spent countless hours volunteering and being everyone’s best friend.
Included in Dave’s activities were Past President Portland Marine Society, Past Vice-Commodore Portland Yacht Club, Cumberland Club, Friends of the Cassin Young, Preble Street Soup Kitchen, Saco River Salmon Club, Miramichi Salmon Association, Salar Haven Salmon Club, and was a long-time parishioner and usher at St. Mary’s the Virgin.

There are no words to describe who G. David Fenderson was. Dave was a friend to everyone, a passion for life like no other, and a unique way of making everyone he came in contact feel very special. Dave created life long bonds with all of those he met along the way and will be remembered as a man who lived life on his own terms and found joy in every minute of it.
Our most heartfelt gratitude to all of Dave’s caregivers over the past years. A very special thank you to Dr. James Wasserman, Dr. Robert Taylor, Dr. Christopher Healey, Dr. Ben Branch, the wonderful staff at Southern Maine Dialysis Center, and the care Dave received while at Maine Medical Center.

Dave is survived by his wife and business partner, Margaret Jane Fenderson, his son David W.H. Fenderson and daughter-in-law Anne-Louise Goulet, his daughter Meg J. Fenderson, his grandchildren Madeleine A. Fenderson and Brady R. McMillion, and his brother Terry I. Fenderson.

Visiting Hours will be held 10 am – 12 pm on Saturday, December 14, 2019, at the Episcopal Church of St. Mary, 43 Foreside Rd. Falmouth, Maine, with a funeral service to follow at 2:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial scholarship fund has been established in the name G. David and Margaret J. Fenderson at Maine Maritime Academy. Contributions to be made:

Captain G. David Fenderson ’56 and Margaret J. Fenderson
Endowed Scholarship Fund at Maine Maritime Academy
1 Pleasant Street Castine, Maine. 04420
Attention: Advancement Office