SOUTH CASCO — Byron Daniel Chute, 75, of South Casco, died Friday afternoon, May 31, 2024, at his home surrounded by his loving family.

He was born in South Casco on Oct. 8, 1948, to Leander and Ann (Shane) Chute. He attended elementary school locally and went on to graduate from Hampden Dubose Academy, a Christian High School in Florida. Returning to Maine, Byron earned an associate’s degree in Business from the University of Maine in Portland. He served in the Maine Army National Guard, Company C 133 Engineers in Lewiston for six years.

Byron married the love of his life, Carlene Ann Graffius, on July 11, 1970, in Portland. He built them a home in South Casco where they raised three children and he started a long career in all things sawmilling and lumber.

He worked alongside family at Chute Lumber (later becoming Lake Region Lumber) until 1986. He also cut timber him- self as a logger for a while, worked at Sanborn Machine, Wolf Systems out of Austria, and traveled to Russia to set-up their lumber mills, before getting back into the sawmilling business with his son, Dan, running Songo Timber Products from 1998- 2007. He went on to be production/project manager for High- land Lumber in Dixfield and P.H. Chadbourne in Bethel, and then selling sawmills for T.S. Manufacturing. From 2009-2012 Mano Spa & Village in Costa Rica had him acquire and set up a sawmill there and mill wood for post and beam structures he put together for them. He did the same thing at Word of Life in Schroon Lake, N.Y., where he and Carlene lived for three years and also attended and graduated from the Word of Life Bible Institute. After returning to Casco again, he sold dry kilns for Wood Mizer and then for Nyle Systems for several years until just recently.

He was a member of the Casco Alliance Church. He loved the Lord His God and sought to walk in His ways. He enjoyed flying, hunting, woodworking, and traveling in the company of friends and family, especially to spend time with his grandchildren and see whatever they were doing. He was an ice hockey fan, following the Maine Mariners and the Boston Bruins.

Byron is survived by his wife, Carlene, of South Casco; his children: Jeanette Posecznick of Syracuse, N.Y., Daniel Chute and his wife, Erica Lowell, of Bridgton, and Molly Watson and her husband, Shane, of Homer, Alaska; his seven grandchildren: Sarah, Sam, Caleb, Grace, Cody, Trevor and Sophie; his siblings, Eric Chute of Newport, N.H., Priscilla DeWever of Rumney, N.H., Martha (Bernard) Gemeroth of Lynch Station, Va., and Sam Chute of Casco; also many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents and brother-in-law, John DeWever.

A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, July 13 at 12 p.m. at Tarry A While Resort, 17 Tarry A While Rd., Bridgton. Please join us. Condolences and tributes may be shared at www.hallfuneralhome.net

Instead of sending flowers, donations can be made to the Supreme Court Jester Ministry – Rick Hagerstrom, 3 Snowy Acres, Bridgton, ME 04009, or plant a tree in Byron’s memory, he would like that!