Farmingdale, ME- Howard Raymond Betts, 65, was of a genre of men that can only be categorized as pragmatic and kind. A rare gem of a human being, he was a stead fast ambassador of good will and always held the highest of moral principles in himself and others. He made his final salute to the world on March 3, 2023 at home peacefully in his sleep. Born in Augusta, Maine to the late William Howard Betts, and wife Muriel Eloise Betts (Whitten), he was faithfully raised to always have a rooted foundation in family. His grandchildren were the brightest stars in his sky. They could dissolve any cantankerous mood that would come his way and just the mere mention of their names would bring the largest glimmer of pride in his eyes. His whole life was dedicated to the support of his children, his parents, brothers and sisters, and their children as well. He was the patriarchal totem for the Betts family. Howard was a collector of all things trains. Big and Small. Life sized, in fact. His passion for the railroad spanned an entire lifetime and he diligently threw his all into exploring and being committed to every aspect of what the railroad entailed. He was actively involved in volunteering at railroads all over the east coast from the Walkersville Southern Railroad in Maryland to the Belfast Moosehead Lake Railroad and Seashore Trolley Museum in Maine. He was always the first to lend a hand no matter who needed it and would treat any request as if it was was his mission in life to offer his support. His altruism extended to everyone from his family, to American Legion members, to railroad colleagues, and even passers-by. He was as efficient as the railroads he would build and maintain and was a walking, talking, quality control, rule book encyclopedia. After Graduating high school from HallDale High he completed his associates degree in Applied Science with a concentration in Architectural and Civil Engineering Technology from the the Central Maine Vocational-Technical Institute which kickstarted a life long career in Engineering, Surveying, Construction, and Design. He enlisted in the United States Navy Seabees in 1978 and participated in both active duty and Naval Reserves for 33 years. Congruently in 1994-2006 he also worked as Construction Representative for the Army Corp of Engineers and was the resident Engineer for Projects in Afghanistan for 18 months and in 2006 he began working at the Federal Emergency Management Agency as a Construction Representative and Facility Management Specialist until 2013. He was awarded endless accolades for all of the various projects that he was involved in as an active service member in the United States military and civilian contractor. Because of his extremely accomplished career he was able to retire at the young age of 55. In retirement, he relished in his new found freedom to do as he pleased, when he pleased. He was highly involved with the American Legion, and held many executive rolls through this organization including post commander for several years. He Co-founded Maine Switching Services with some close friends from Belfast-Moosehead Lake Railroad. Howard in all of his stoicism led a very full and happy life. He is survived by his daughter Miranda Betts, son Joshua Betts, Sister Jan Betts, Brother Jamie Betts, niece Tanya Marin, and Grandchildren Leila Pariseau, Zoey Betts, and Hudson Betts. There will be an internment on July 7th, 2023 at 1pm at Maine Veteran's Memorial Cemetery Civic Center Dr. 143 Blue Star Ave. Augusta, ME 04330 and a private Memorial Luncheon on July 8th. In leu of flowers please consider donating to The Belfast Moosehead Lake Railroad an organization that was very important to Howard. https://belfastandmooseheadlakerail.org/portal/index.php/donate-to-the-railroad