Lewis Taavi Wirta

Wirta, Lewis T., 53, June 7, 2008.
    CARY – Lewis Taavi Wirta, 53, passed away at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor on June 7, 2008, after a courageous struggle  with a rare form of lymphoma.
    Lewis was a gifted musician and highly skilled carpenter, who worked most recently in building and grounds maintenance for the University of Maine Presque Isle at the Houlton Outreach Center.
    Lewis loved to play music and share music with others. He gave his musical talents freely on fiddle and keyboard to many events in  communities in northern Maine and in local schools. He was an  enthusiastic gardener, passionate seed saver, and a loving and playful stay-at home dad with a sense of humor he used often to  challenge mindsets and stereotypes.
    Lewis was born in San Francisco on December 12, 1954, and lived in  California, England, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and New  York, before moving to Houlton, Maine in 1988.
    He was predeceased by his father, Ensi, and brother, Evan. He is survived by his wife, Audrey Zimmerman and their son, Arno, of Cary, Maine; his mother, Frances Wirta, of Houlton; sister, Bronwen Wirta and her husband, Michael Hester, of Maynard, MA; sister, Gwendolyn Winseman and her husband, Jeff, and their children, Graham and Erin, of Bennington, VT; brother, Morgan Wirta, of Phoenix, AZ; brother, Dylan Wirta, and his daughter, Arwen, of Taos, NM.
    There will be a Memorial Service for Lewis on Thursday, August 14, at 4 p.m. at the Unitarian Church in Houlton. In lieu of flowers and  gifts, the family requests donations be made in memory of Lewis to the Lymphoma Research Foundation to further research toward a cure. Lymphoma Research Foundation, 115 Broadway, 13th Floor, New York, NY 10006, or online at www.lymphoma.org.