Richard "Shorty" Allison Marsh

Bath - Richard “Shorty” Marsh, 86, passed away on May 14, 2023 in Freeport, Maine after a long illness.  Shorty was born April 17, 1937 in Presque Isle, Maine to parents Harold Marsh and Helena Lidstone.  A long-time resident of Bath, Woolwich, and Dresden, he graduated from Morse High School in 1956 and served in the US Navy from 1958 to 1962. Shorty married Carole (Orr) in 1961 and they raised four children: Rick, Shawn, Scott, and Lisa Marsh.

Shorty owned and operated his carpentry and remodeling business for over thirty years. He then worked for seventeen years as a sandblaster at Bath Iron Works before “retiring” while continuing to do part time carpentry work. He was proud to be a member of Alcoholics Anonymous and celebrated over fifty years of sobriety. Shorty and Carole also owned and managed apartment houses on Deering, Elm, and Pine Streets in Bath, Maine for many years. Shorty and Carole were known to drop in for a cup of tea at the homes of friends and family members, which they referred to as “ramming the roads”. They enjoyed camping in their recreational vehicle and spent many seasons at Cedar Haven in Freeport, Lake Pemaquid in Damariscotta, and Meadowbrook in Phippsburg. Shorty and Carole also spent a lot of time at Beech Ridge and Wiscasset Speedway watching stock car racing, including drivers Mike Orr (nephew) and Tasha Dyer.

Shorty coached Bath Babe Ruth baseball for many years and had family members Rick, Shawn, Scott, Tim Gagnon, and others on his Bath Iron Works Babe Ruth teams. After he stopped coaching, he was often approached by former players who expressed appreciation for his philosophy of equal playing time regardless of skill level. Shorty understood that providing the opportunity to grow as an individual and a teammate was far more important than winning.

Shorty attended Small Point Baptist Church in Phippsburg and, later, Church of the Nazarene in Brunswick, Maine.

He is predeceased by his parents, his wife of 52 years Carole in 2014, and his sister Ellen Delong in 2016. Shorty is survived by his four children and their spouses, son Richard Marsh and wife Nicole of Plano, Texas; son Shawn Marsh and his wife Kelly of Poland, Maine; son Scott Marsh and partner Elaine Bell of Brunswick, Maine; and daughter Lisa Marsh of West Bath, Maine. Shorty was a proud grandfather to Cali, Ricky, and Salli Marsh, Devin and Daniel Marsh, Shane and Hasson Skehan, and Allison Marsh.

The family will hold visiting hours at Desmond Funeral Home in Bath from 3 to 5pm on Sunday, May 21 st . There will be a private burial at a later date.

To share your thoughts and condolences with the family, please visit www.desmondfuneralhomes.com

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