Richard C. Sholtanis
1943-2025
SCARBOROUGH--Richard Sholtanis, 81, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, and friend, passed away at his home in Scarborough, Maine, on February 17, 2025.  He touched many people's lives around New England and beyond and was known for his quick wit and humor and corny dad jokes.
He was very proud of his military record, serving in the Air Force from 1961-1965.  He was an accomplished scuba dive instructor, and dove with Bourne Underwater Recovery.  He was on the scene for many rescues in the water and through the Air Rescue Service, for which he received commendations.  In his free time, he loved to build stone walls, many of which are still standing in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.  He loved cooking outdoors for friends, family and neighbors, hosting countless lobster and clam bakes, beer can chicken feasts, and bean hole dinners.  His stories around the fire pit were legendary (and some of them were even true).  He loved the New England outdoors, from boating and fishing by the Cape Cod Canal to hiking many of the 4,000-footers in the White Mountains.

Richard faced life's hardships with perseverance and stubborn optimism. After the death of his son, he got his small aircraft pilot's license and took to the skies, a little bit closer to heaven. He piloted many flights up and down the east coast. In later years he spent many hours on his flight simulator, taking friends and family on virtual trips around the globe.

He coached youth soccer in Plymouth and the varsity team at Sacred Heart High School in Kingston, Massachusetts.  After retiring from a career in insurance and as a special investigator in a law firm, he officiated high school track meets in New Hampshire and Maine.  He also worked at Cranmore Mountain as a "CPA" ("Cranmore Parking Attendant").  He became an avid skier who taught his beloved grandchildren to ski, and many other children as well as a volunteer ski instructor at King Pine.  He and his wife traveled the world tirelessly to exotic locations across six continents and came within a few hundred miles of Antarctica.  Some of their favorite trips included Ecuador, Galapagos Islands, Kenya, Tanzania, and New Zealand.  They snorkeled in many locations, including Australia's Great Barrier Reef, Hawaii, and many of the islands in the Caribbean.
He made friends everywhere he lived, including West Wind Shores in Plymouth, Massachusetts; Eidelweiss in Madison, New Hampshire; and Sokokis Pines in Tamworth, New Hampshire.  In 2023, he very wisely decided that he and his wife should move to Scarborough, Maine to be close to their daughter.
He is survived by his wife of 56 laughter-filled years, Catherine Sholtanis; his daughter and son-in-law Debra & Charles Dunlap; his honorary son Robert Titterington and his wife and daughter Jodie & Clover Kaufman; his grandchildren Naomi & Michael Ellette and Caleb Dunlap; and his five great-grandchildren Shawn, Asher, Ariya, Rosabella, and Atticus Ellette.  He was predeceased by his son, Richard Sholtanis, in 1991.  We are sure the two of them are up in heaven causing trouble together.
These are the things he particularly held dear: his family, especially his wife, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren; his dog; and his many friends.  He will be missed.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.
A Celebration of Life will be held for friends and family to share memories of Richard—funny, irreverent, and otherwise, on Sunday, March 2, 2025, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Hobbs Funeral Home and Hospitality Center, 671 US Route One, Scarborough, ME 04074.