Anthony "Tony" Marple Obituary (1947 - 2023)

WHITEFIELD- Anthony “Tony” Field Marple, 75, passed away peacefully at home on January 24th, 2023, after a short struggle with ALS. He was the beloved husband of Marianne (Burton) Marple, with whom he shared 49 years. Tony was born in Norwalk, CT on August 18, 1947, to the late William and Jean (Sutherland) Marple. After high school in Wilton, Connecticut, and the Berkshire School in Massachusetts, he attended Bucknell College and the University of Richmond, where he received his bachelor’s degree in psychology and mathematics. He later received an MBA in finance from the University of Connecticut and a graduate certificate in health care finance from the University of South Carolina. Tony moved to Whitefield in 1984 to take a position as Vice President of Finance for the Kennebec Valley Medical Center (KVMC) in Augusta. He was proud of his role in keeping the hospital system profitable every year, making it possible to avoid employee lay-offs. After the merger of KVMC with Mid-Maine Health System, Tony became Executive Vice President and Treasurer of Maine General Health. He retired in 2006 and in the same year was appointed director of MaineCare, where he worked to introduce a patient-focused managed care approach to Medicaid. Finally, he served as the CFO of Mercy Hospital in Portland. Tony loved nature, hiking, running, and farming. He and his son Keith hiked all 48 4,000-foot peaks in New Hampshire, and he made hiking trips throughout Maine and in Mexico, Canada, and the Rocky Mountains. He worked to establish a system of hiking trails in Whitefield. Tony and Marianne’s farm grew to include a 30-acre wild blueberry field, apple trees, a vegetable garden, and woods, all managed by Tony using conservation practices. He practiced what he preached, outfitting his house with solar panels, driving electric cars, and using electric tools as much as possible in order to reduce his own carbon footprint. In 2019 the Marple farm was named Conservation Farm of the Year for Tony’s efforts to preserve the habitat of wild bees and other pollinators. Tony was an excellent photographer of people and nature. He participated in a number of photography shows and won prizes at the Kodak International Newspaper Snapshot Awards, the AMC photo contest, and the Maine Photography Show. For many years Tony served the Town of Whitefield in various ways - as a Selectman and on the School Board and the Planning Board. In these roles he helped to install solar panels on the fire station, create road signs to keep Amish horse and buggies safe on Whitefield roads, establish the Whitefield Trails Committee, and start the first town newspaper. He also served on the boards of various environmental or health-related groups in Maine, such as the National Resources Council of Maine, Lincoln Health, OnPoint Health Data, and the Maine Health Access Foundation. Tony worked to protect the Maine wilderness he loved by supporting conservation and efforts to slow down climate change. He served as treasurer of the Mid-Coast Conservancy and lobbied for connecting the Hydro-Quebec hydroelectric dam with Maine, which he argued would reduce the state’s dependence on fossil fuels. Tony was beloved by friends and family as someone who was hardworking and driven but also generous, down-to-earth, and self-deprecating. He leaves behind his loving wife, Marianne; his son Keith Marple of Princeton, Massachusetts and Keith’s daughters Beatrice, Anna, and Kate; his son and daughter-in-law Brian and Pei Yi Marple of Cuddebackville, New York; his four siblings, Anne James and her husband Rob, of Richmond, Virginia; Allen Marple of Richmond, Virginia; Harriet Plehn of Worthington, Massachusetts; and Sara Templeman and her husband Bob, of Charlottesville, Virginia; and many adoring nieces and nephews. Burial services for Tony will be private. A memorial service is to be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Mid-Coast Conservancy (https://www.midcoastconservancy.org/) or the Environmental Defense Fund (edf.org). Condolences and memories may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the Knowlton and Hewins Funeral Home (www.khrfuneralhomes.com).