Lobstermen Donate Lobster to
Military Retreat

by Sandra Dinsmore

Fishermen are generous. That’s well known. Whenever there’s a benefit for someone, they’ll contribute some of their catch or a fishermen’s stew. Randall Perkins, who fished out of Naskeag and who died unexpectedly this past June at 61, was particularly generous.

Perkins was unusual in that he lived, as Brooklin fisherman Forest Dow said, “Quite a way off the grid.” In fact, according to Dow, Perkins lived three miles back in the woods on Get Away Road.

“He did that on purpose; he loved his solitude; he loved being in the woods and outdoors,” said Perkins’s brother, Jeff. “But at the same time,” he said, “Randy was one of the most open-hearted people I’ve ever seen.”

“You know,” Patrick Dow said, “the thing with Randy was, if somebody had—I don’t know—a heart attack or cancer or something like that, and they had a supper, he was the first one to make fishermen’s stew for it. Randy said, ‘I make more fishermen’s stew. I make gallons of it.’

“He’d never even think about it,” Patrick said. “He’d just do it. Community affairs: he was right there.”

But Patrick noted, “Randy was never a mechanic. He couldn’t tear a spark plug out without breaking it off, but he was a nice guy. You couldn’t ask for anybody better. He was a really good boy. If anybody’s luck was down, Randy was right there.”

“He was a hell of a nice guy,” agreed Forest Dow. “He would do anything for anybody. He was great to fish around. He was a real good guy. Got along with everybody.”

Two years ago, Randy told his brother Jeff about having seen something on television about a place called House In The Woods, a hunting, fishing, and recreational retreat for members of the U.S. armed forces and their families. Two families from the tiny town of Lee (population 845) who both lost sons in Iraq founded and operate this therapeutic retreat in their sons’ honor.

According to Jeff, Randy was particularly interested in a big picnic the founding families, Paul and Dee House, and Bill and Quie Emery, give each Labor Day. The retreat offers free food and lodging to military personnel and their families. Both Perkins brothers had served in the Navy, and Jeff recalled Randy saying, “I’m going to put together some lobsters to go up there, but I don’t have a way to transport them.”

Jeff, who is retired, said he would be honored to drive the lobsters to the military retreat in Lee. He delivered Randy’s 60 lobsters to the House In The Woods twice: for Labor Day 2013 and for Labor Day 2014. Then in 2015, at Randy’s Life Celebration, Jeff mentioned his late brother’s generosity, saying, “The two years we did it, Randy contributed all the 60 lobsters himself.”

When he heard that, Forest Dow said, “I told Jeff that I would make sure that it was continued.”

“We were all fishing one morning [the week before Labor Day],” Patrick Dow recalled, “and [over the VHF Forest] said, ‘We’ve got this donation coming up. If anybody wants to donate a few lobsters …’”

“The next thing you know,” said Patrick Dow, “Jeremy [Tyler] came on [the radio] and said, ‘My father and Tabor and I are all going to donate 10 apiece, so there’s 30.’ “Then Rusty Candage [donated 10], and everybody just chipped in together and it came to 114.”

The eleven fishermen who fish out of Blue Hill, Brooklin, and Swan’s Island and who contributed at least ten lobsters apiece include Travis Astbury, Rusty Candage, Forest Dow, Patrick Dow, Tabor Horton, Scott Keenan, Kenny Lemoine, Jr. David Tarr, Brian Tripp, Jeremy Tyler, and Keaveny Tyler. Forest later said of Randy, “He was just a very giving person. We all knew it and appreciated what he did and wanted to follow in his footsteps in his memory. We all thought the world of him and think he deserves to be remembered.”

Patrick Dow and his partner Tammy Hustus delivered the 114 lobsters to Paul House, of House In The Woods. Patrick said the market value of those lobsters was about $800. He also included a note that read:

“These 114 lobsters are from the generosity of fishermen from Blue Hill Bay and Jericho Bay, Blue Hill and Brooklin, Maine. It seems it was a tradition of our deceased friend and fisherman Randy Perkins.

“All of us hope you enjoy this fine food. We talked it over by radio on the water that we plan to continue to do this benefit in the future for you.

“Best of luck be with you and enjoy your day, – The Boys”

FMI on House In The Woods, call 207-738-4421.