Obituary of Dean Lowell Meggison

Dean Lowell (Meg) Meggison, of Sapphire, North Carolina, formerly of Kennebunk, Maine, passed away unexpectedly on the first day of winter (Thursday, December 21), 2017 at the age of 70. Dean was born in Boston, Massachusetts on May 9, 1947, the son of Clifford and Jean Meggison, and brother of Keith Meggison and Martha Barker. He moved to Portland, Maine just before his senior year in high school. He was a graduate of the University of Maine, majoring in physics, where he sought to follow his famous uncle into astrophysics and the space program, but instead discovered a new calling as an educator. Dean began his education career in Swanzey, New Hampshire where he met his wife Jeanne Meggison, a marine educator, in 1976. He taught physics there for seven years until returning to his adopted home state of Maine. He taught physics at Kennebunk High School for another 35 years until 'retirement'. He then promptly flunked retirement and went on to the University of New England as a Visiting Assistant Lecturer in Physics for another 5 years. Dean and his wife retired to the mountains of North Carolina last September. He was forever involved with the care and feeding of young minds, both in and out of the classroom, volunteering for countless programs and activities. He often heard from his students years after graduation from his classes either by email, a phone call or a surprise knock on the door. Dean received numerous awards over the years, but was most proud of the progress he made in selection to the Teacher in Space program. He was a founder of the Gulf of Maine Marine Education Association, participant in the Underwater Habitat Experimental Program, an active member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Kennebunk, a scuba diver, craftsman and excellent bicycle mechanic and board member of the Community Bicycle Program in Biddeford, Maine. He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Jeanne, daughter Tammy and her husband Mervin of Mechanicsburg, Ohio, son Dean and his wife Deborah of Charleston, South Carolina, and a treasure trove of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A celebration of his life will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Kennebunk, Maine sometime early in the New Year; date and time to be announced. Of his vocation as an educator, he wrote: "I believe that everyone has the capacity to learn, at some level, whatever they truly want to know. It is not often pretty to watch the process, but when the proverbial light bulb goes on and someone finally 'gets it', there is no more wondrous experience for a teacher and student."