John Lyndon Ames passed away on Saturday, January 29, 2011 at Ledgeview Nursing Home in West Paris, Maine, after a battle with cancer. He was 80.

John was born on July 26, 1930 in Auburn, Maine to Chauncey Ames and Maude Chute Ames. His family moved to South Paris when he was about ten years old, and he graduated from Paris High School in 1948.

John loved trains. At the age of 19 he began his lifelong career with the Canadian National Railroad as a telegraph operator, which he greatly enjoyed. He worked at railroad stations in New England, New York and Ontario and took thousands of photographs of trains, many of which were later published.

Although unable to serve in the military, John volunteered for Civil Defense, and was also a member of the Grange in West Paris.

He married Mary Jane Abbott on May 24, 1969 and they moved to Gorham, New Hampshire in 1970, because John was working primarily at the station in Berlin. They became active in the Community Baptist Church, where John served as deacon, trustee and Sunday School superintendent for many years. He was a loving and faithful husband and father, and a great encouragement and support to his two daughters when they became missionaries.

John’s hobbies included building model railroad cars, doing crossword puzzles, and playing Scrabble. He was a good cook and made many delicious soups. He enjoyed living near Mt. Washington and taking visitors up the Auto Road to the summit. For several years, he had his own backyard weather station and kept careful records of his observations.

After John retired from the railroad in 1992, he joined the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) and became a volunteer driver for the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), taking patients to the VA hospital in White River Junction, VT, which he enjoyed very much. In 2007, he was recognized for having driven more than 200,000 miles for the DAV.

In 2009, John and Mary Jane moved to Ledgeview Living Center in West Paris, Maine. For the last four months he was a resident of Ledgeview Nursing Home, where he received excellent, loving care.

John is survived by his wife of 41 years, Mary Jane Ames of West Paris; daughter Alice Corbett and husband Jack of Sanford, Florida and their children Danielle, Evan and Regan; daughter Lois Tignor and husband Chris of Portoviejo, Ecuador and their children Elisabeth, James, Grace, Christina and Daniel; several nieces and nephews; and his beloved cat, Josey.

He was predeceased by his parents and two older siblings, Leona Ames James and Harold C. Ames.

Andrews Funeral Home in Woodstock, Maine is in charge of the arrangements. Relatives and friends are invited to visit there on Tuesday evening, February 1 from 6:00-8:00 pm. A memorial service is planned at the West Paris Baptist Church on Wednesday, February 2 at 11:00 am.

“But as many as received Him [Jesus], to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” (John 1:12)