CAMDEN — For as many years as he can remember, and it's a little harder for him to remember these days...Parker Stone Laite Sr. has participated in annual parades in Camden, most of them behind the wheel of a motor vehicle, antique and otherwise.

"My favorite was the Cadillac woody wagon with the MGM logo on the side doors," said Laite. The car he is talking about is a 1949 Cadillac Series 75 Bohman & Schwartz (USA) Custom Limousine built for MGM Studios. It was owned by Laite's good friend, Charles Cawley.

"Charlie had about 125 antique cars at one time," said Laite. And with dozens kept at his former home at Fox Hill in Camden, many of those antique cars were used in parades by Laite and others to chaperone legionnaires to patriotic holiday ceremonies.

Participating in parades is just one of myriad civic and community activities Laite is known for in and around Camden. But as Memorial Day approaches this year, and with his health declining, Navy veteran Laite's role in this year's annual parade will be as one of the guests of honor, instead of chauffeuring other veterans and guests.

"I told Dad that we would have to be sure and set up a spot along the road this year to watch the parade and he said, 'Well, but I'll be driving in it,'" said Laite's daughter, Dody Urquia. "But then I said well, you really should not be driving right now, this year, in the parade. So then he said, 'Well, I'll call [Police Chief] Randy [Gagne] and he'll let me drive if he is sitting next to me.'"

Urquia said she talked to Gagne and knew that wasn't really an option, and instead Gagne offered to let Laite ride shotgun in his cruiser, leading the parade.

"We have also decided to make him this year's grand marshal of the parade," said Gagne. "He asked me the other night if he could ride with me and I wanted to do it up better than that. It's a surprise."

Well, not anymore. As of the publishing of this story, the cat's out of the bag. And Laite indeed will be at the head of the parade, riding in style and with the title of grand marshal.

It's a fitting role for the Camden resident who also served in the military. Laite graduated from Maine Maritime Academy in Castine in June 1954 and 10 days after graduation boarded the S.S. Steel Architect as merchant marine junior third mate for Isthmian Lines steamship company, then owned by U.S. Steel.

He was on active duty for two years in the U.S. Navy aboard an ocean radar picket ship on the west coast out of Treasure Island, San Francisco, Calif., and in the far east, South Africa and Hawaiian Island. After the Navy, he went back to sea with the Farrell Lines and the American Export Lines. He served 10 years of reserved duty. 

In a questionnaire from Maine Maritime Academy in preparation for a class reunion, Laite said that in addition to the professional knowledge he gained at the school, he learned "how to respect authority and to accept authority. All the necessary leadership skills that have served me well.

He also wrote this response to the following question:

What advice would you give to a present MMA student?

"Most of the graduates will become gentlemen or gentlewomen by an act of the US Congress. I suggest they all buy a Rules to be a Gentleman or Gentlewoman and read it occasionally as a refresher. If you plan to go to sea for a period of time delay marriage if possible as being at sea when young and married is not a easy life. Drink sensibly and in moderation. The temptation to drink is very prevalent everywhere! Save your money and invest wisely!"

In 1961, while home between trips out to sea, Laite learned of the formation of a new company in Rockland called Marine Colloids Inc. The company, which would later become owned by FMC Corp. of Chicago, Ill., in 1977, processed seaweeds to make alginates and carrageenan.

Laite took a job there and spent the next 30 years traveling to "all corners of the world locating and developing raw material," he said. "I traveled a distance equal to 22 times around the world, and I then acquired a construction company and a boat yard in Camden, Wayfarer Marine LLC."

He sold his share in Wayfarer in January 2007, but he remained very connected to the town by continuing to serve on various boards and committees. He has also been a 61-year member of the Mason, Amity Lodge No. 6.

According to one of his good friends, Peter Vigue, Laite was a trusted advisor to him and Cawley, "and many other political friends and non-political friends around the world."

"He always liked to make snowballs, and have someone else throw them," said Vigue.

In June 2007, the Camden Annual Town Report was dedicated to Laite. For the dedication, which was read on stage at that year's annual town meeting on June 13, Elizabeth Moran wrote:

"Throughout the history of the towns in Maine, there have been residents who have so generously served their communities in many ways, who were well-known and respected leaders and whose names are now recorded in the history books. In Camden in much of the last half of the 20th century and the beginnings of the 21st, such a person has been Parker Stone Laite, Sr.

"Parker was born on Bay View Street during the depths of the Depression to Gilbert and Dorothy Laite, both of whom were very active and well-loved residents of Camden. Parker attended Camden schools, and had a paper route on Chestnut Street. With his outgoing personality, Parker was known by everyone in town. Parker graduated from Camden High School in 1951, from Maine Maritime Academy in 1954 and later attended the Harvard Graduate School of Business. In 1955 he married his high school sweetheart and classmate, Irene "Renie" Fitzsimmons.

"After serving in the U.S. Merchant Marine and the U.S. Navy for a few years, Parker and his family returned to Camden when he joined Marine Colloids in Rockland. Moving to Belfast Road, he established Laite Construction Co. He quickly became involved in his community serving on the Board of Selectmen for nine years with two terms as Chair. He served for 15 years on the Town Planning Board mostly as chairman, the land use and comprehensive plan committees, the Camden Post Office Committee, the Harbor Committee and was co-chair of the town charter committee. He was a prominent member of a committee that established zoning for Camden. He served on the Committee that formed Maine School Administrative District 28 and was involved in many school construction projects. He has been town meeting moderator for years, holding the record for presiding over the shortest town meeting in history. He was a trustee of the Pascal Fund and serves on the Camden Cemetery Association, the Camden Veterans' Honor Roll Committee and was president of the Camden Area History Center. He remains a member of the Board of Trustees of the Camden-Rockport Historical Society serves on the Maine Economic Research Institute. He was a member of the Camden Public Library Board of Trustees serving as president from 2000 to 2004, and remains an honorary trustee. In 1993 he directed the restoration on the Camden Amphitheatre and was chair of the Building Committee that managed the construction of the library's underground Centennial Wing in 1996.

Parker is currently an honorary Trustee. He was a past President of the Board of Trustees and was Chairman of the Building Committee during the construction of the 1996 Camden Library addition. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Camden-Rockport Historical Society.

"He has been a trustee of Pen Bay Medical Center and was chair of their building committee. He was also a trustee of the Camden Health Care Center and was chair of that building project. As a life-long member of St. Thomas' Episcopal Church, Parker has been a choir boy, acolyte, vestryman, Endowment Committee chair, Building Committee chair, usher and Finance Committee chair.

"He was one of the owners of Wayfarer Marine of recent years and worked hard to preserve not only jobs for its 100 employees, but also preserve Camden Harbor's rich maritime heritage. Parker was honored in 1994 as Rockport-Camden-Lincolnville Chamber of Commerce's Townsperson of the Year. At that gathering he credited his parents for instilling in him the need for community service and his wife for supporting him (for half a century).

"When Parker is introduced to someone and they ask if he has always lived in Camden, he responds (as
only Parker can), "Why yes, I never had enough money to get out of town." Thank God he never did."

When the Memorial Day parade rolls through Camden on Monday, May 30, be sure and also wave to the grand marshal riding shotgun in the police chief's car.

Thank you, Park, for all you have done for Camden and everyone whose lives you have touched.

Reach Editorial Director Holly S. Edwards at hollyedwards@penbaypilot.com and 207-706-6655.