Legge, Paul Warren

Paul Warren Legge, 96, of Christiansburg, and formerly of Pittsfield Maine, died peacefully on Monday, July 7, 2008, at the Carilion New River Valley Medical Center in Radford, Va.

Paul was born in Bridgetown, Nova Scotia, on August 13, 1911, the son of Evelyn Garnet and Sarah Jane (Bent) Legge. He married Vivian Moore in 1937 and together they raised two sons.

He graduated from Wilton Academy in 1929 and received his BS from the University of Illinois in 1935. He also received his masters degree from the University of Maine in 1953. Paul was a dedicated educator. He taught at Wilton Academy, Jay High School and then at Maine Central Institute for 32 years, retiring in 1976. His favorite teaching subjects were physics, chemistry and mathematics. As the head of the science department, he provided specifications for the design of the Cianchette Science Building at MCI. He also coached football, basketball and baseball. “Teaching and coaching: A lifetime of Guidance,” which Paul and Vivian chose as their epitaph, is a fitting description of their lives.

A member of the Masonic Lodge AF & AM, Paul was very active in the Pittsfield, Maine, community. He was especially active on the parks and recreation committee for Manson and Hathorn Park. He built the baseball diamond at Hathorn Park, named Legge’s Diamond, where he ran the youth leagues for years. After retirement, he continued coaching baseball in Mattoon, Ill., and spent winters in Sebring, Fla. He moved to Christiansburg, Va., in 2002 to live with his son and daughterin-law.

He is survived by his sons, Jeffry Garnet Legge and his wife, Nancy Bodenhorn, of Christiansburg, Va., and Burton Paul Legge, of Dublin, Va.; his grandchildren, Paul William Legge and wife, Kim, of Grand Rapids Mich., and Jennifer Sue Legge, of Chicago, Ill.

He was predeceased by his wife, Vivian, in 2002; his sisters, Evelyn, Myrtle, Marie, Cora and Phyllis; and his brother, George Woodrow.

There will be a graveside service at the Village Cemetery, Peltoma Avenue, Pittsfield, Maine, to be announced at a later date. To sign an online guestbook and leave a message of condolence please visit www.shoreynichols.com. Donations can be made in Paul Legge’s memory toward the general annual fund of Maine Central Institute, 295 Main Street, Pittsfield, Maine 04967. Arrangements are entrusted to Shorey-Nichols Funeral Home, 191 Hartland Avenue, Pittsfield, Maine 04967.