It has been said that friendship is one of the great human accomplishments, and if this is so, Robert Douglas, known to many as “Big Bob” was exceptionally accomplished.  Big Bob, 64, who died on Aug. 27, 2026, made friends in just about every walk of life. He even kept bags of biscuits in his pickup to hand out to every dog he met.  He was himself a great bear of a fellow with a deep, rumbling, and much exercised laugh.

Bob was born in Union in 1962. After a short enlistment in the Army (where he achieved an expert rating in M-16 and hand grenades!), he came to Lincoln County to attend the Carpenter’s Boat Shop School in Pemaquid.  In 1982 he found work as an electrical assembler at Contact Inc. in Nobleboro, owned by Dick and Rick Reid, and then moved to Edgecomb when Dick, with his wife Millie, and Contact’s shop moved there.

In 2018, Bob faced a serious setback when health issues led to the loss of his lower left leg. After a period of adjustment and through various issues regarding his prosthetic and new living arrangements, and with help from the Community Resource Council, Bob gradually worked his way back to nearly his previous levels of activity and helpfulness.

Bob went to work for the Boothbay Railway Village Museum as a ticket-taker and station master in 2019 and was much treasured there by both staff and visitors. In 2024 he moved to Boothbay Harbor.

Bob made friends wherever he went. People were drawn to this gentle giant with a sense of humor that was often its best when it was self-deprecating. Bob was always ready to help others, running errands for the elderly, taking people to appointments, or lending his strong back and his truck.

He enjoyed watching movies and PBS and football, but most of all he liked visiting and phoning his friends. He made friends at work, at poker games (he was good!), the YMCA, the credit union, the post office, the town hall, the barber’s, and the gas station, and he cherished the staff at the doctors’ offices and clinics he came to rely on.

Despite various hardships, he accomplished much.

He is survived by his sister, Lynne White and husband Brian, of Union, and a long list of dear friends including Stan and Pam Dalton of Wiscasset, Peter Albright of Union, Rick and Judy Reid of Jefferson, Van Reid and Maggie Hunter of Edgecomb, Bill and Kathy Lord of Albion, John and Cathy Orne of Edgecomb, George and Ethel Brewer of Boothbay Harbor, and Bonnie, “Cake”, Rachel, Emily, Avery, and many more.

A memorial service will be held to celebrate Bob’s life at the Boothbay Railway Village Museum, in the Town Hall, on Oct. 24 at 2 p.m. Please come, and bring your stories of Bob Douglas! 

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Boothbay Railway Village Museum or the Community Resource Council in Boothbay Harbor.