Robert “Bob” Charles Christy, 66, of Scarborough, Maine, passed away peacefully in the arms of his wife on November 2, 2026, after a brief battle with cancer.

Bob was born on March 21, 1960, to Alvina and Philip Christy in Portland, Maine. He graduated from Scarborough High School in 1978 and went on to have a successful 30-year career as a pipefitter at Bath Iron Works, where he was a proud member of the International Association of Machinists union.

In December of 1982, Bob met the love of his life, Lillian Gendron... and refused to dance with her. Thankfully, she persisted, and they were married on November 12, 1983. Their peace and quiet vanished forever when they had their daughter, Heather Rae, in 1985, and their son Shane, in 1987.

Bob took great pride in his work at BIW. He could captivate people with his stories of building the US Navy’s finest battleships and taking them out for test runs at sea. Stories of working up at the top of the mast in the radar bubble, of dolphins riding the waves at the bow of the boat, and of the exceedingly popular ice cream machine.

Bob was intensely creative and artistic. He always had a project or two going. He loved creating beautiful things with his own hands. Over the years, his projects have included building two wooden swing sets for his kids and grandkids, sculpting a bas-relief seascape wall mural, crafting tin robots from recycled materials, rebuilding a 79 Dodge step side truck, constructing a chess table and painting the pieces, helping with many school projects with his kids, coming up with numerous unorthodox solutions for needs around the house, and baking and decorating a flowery birthday cake with brown leaves (a hilarious color-blind oopsie).

Bob had a huge heart for animals. In his younger years, he worked at a pet store, where he would bring his pet iguana, Rex, in to hang out and greet the customers. In his retirement, he discovered a love of birding and his backyard wildlife. It all started with a baby squirrel who fell out of a tree. He named it Squeak and cared for it. This led him to feed every animal that visited his backyard, from deer to turkeys to every Maine backyard bird imaginable. His wild duck flock was a spectacle, 200 strong in the winters. He whistled the same song every time he fed them, so they always knew it was him. He became a part of their flock, able to walk through them without them flying away.

Bob is preceded in death by his parents, Alvina and Philip Christy. He is survived by his devoted wife Lillian, his daughter Heather Rae and her husband Joe, his son Shane and his wife Kayla, grandchildren William, Zoe, Evelyn, Belle and Ethan, siblings Cheri, Tim and his wife Cheryl, and Steve and his wife Pam, Lillian’s six siblings and their spouses, and many nieces and nephews.

Family, friends, and others whose lives Bob touched are invited to Cote Funeral Home at 87 James St, Saco, Maine, on Friday, November 6, 2026, from 11 am to 1 pm to grieve, support each other, and, of course, tell Bob stories. A short service will begin at 1 pm with interment to follow.

In lieu of flowers, Bob’s family asks that donations in his name be made to:

The Maine Wildlife Park, 56 Game Farm Road, Gray, ME 04039

https://www.maine.gov/ifw/wildlife-park/donate