Robert N. Biette of Brunswick died at home on September 7. Born in Brunswick on January 28, 1928, he graduated from Brunswick High School in 1946 and then served in the National Guard in Alaska during the Korean War. In 1955, he received his bachelor’s degree in French from the University of Maine, and in October 1956, he married Mary Alvord. They built a life in Reading, Massachusetts, for over 35 years, and he spent the bulk of his career working at Raytheon in nearby Andover.

They retired to Brunswick in 1993, and Bob really flourished in his third act, as his family puts it. In 1985, he co-founded what eventually became the Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust and, after retiring, served for 15 years on its board of trustees. He fostered deep connections within the Brunswick community and supported Mary in her work with the Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program. Bob also became an excellent craftsman, turning wooden bowls that were the hit of craft fairs across southern Maine, which paid for trips with Mary every other year to places like Alaska, Colombia, Canada, Africa, and across Europe. He especially loved an occasion to speak French, which he did so fluently.

Bob was very in tune with Maine’s nature, and he researched, wrote, and published a history of Pennellville, where he grew up on a working farm and where he spent the final decades of his life.

Education was of the utmost importance to him, and he was very proud of his children and grandchildren for graduating from college and many receiving advanced degrees. Bob was a dedicated family man, known for his kindness, creativity, hospitality, energy, curiosity, and love of a good yarn. He was very proud of his grandchildren and reveled in their individual successes and life paths.

He is predeceased by his wife, Mary, and brother, Russ. He is survived by his sister, Louise; children David (Ann) of Arlington, Virginia; Suzanne (Bill) of Reading, Massachusetts; Matthew (Anne) of Middlebury, Vermont; and Anthony (Ann) of Belmont, Massachusetts; 10 grandchildren and their partners; and one great-grandchild.

A memorial service will be celebrated in Bob’s honor at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, October 23, 2026, at St. Charles Borromeo Church, 132 McKeen Street in Brunswick, with a reception to follow at St. Charles Hall. Donations in Bob’s memory can be made to the Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust. Arrangements and guidance are under the direction of Stetson’s Funeral Home & Cremation Care, 12 Federal Street, Brunswick, Maine. Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared with the family by visiting the Stetson’s Funeral Home website www.StetsonsFuneralHome.com.