HALLOWELL -- Timothy Ladd had a big heart, cared deeply for others and 'was a great person to be around,'his friends and family said Tuesday.Ladd, 59, of Hallowell was killed Monday morning in a plane crash during a thunderstorm in the Berkshires. The pilot of the single engine plane, Boothbay Harbor businessman Gregg Hartley, 54, also died in the crash.The Piper PA-32 was registered to Hartley Marine Services, the dry bulk transport and tug company Hartley owned.Ladd, a mechanical subcontractor, and Hartley were flying from Wiscasset to Columbia County Airport in Hudson, N.Y., a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.Jennifer McGowan, Ladd's girlfriend who lived with him in Hallowell, said Tuesday that the pair were on their way to look at a tugboat near Albany owned by Hartley that had mechanical difficulty. 'He was a mechanic and could make anything work,'she said of Ladd. 'There were severe thunderstorms in the area, so I assume (the crash) was weather-related.'McGowan, who works for the Maine House of Representatives Clerk's Office, said Ladd touched the lives of many people. They were friends for over 20 years, she said; then, three years ago, the friendship developed into a more serious relationship. McGowan, who is the sister of Patrick McGowan, commissioner of the Maine Department of Conservation, said they were together four years.'He was the love of my life,'she said. 'My partner. We were very lucky. We had a lot in common and we had fun. We each had three kids. I'm going to miss him.'Ladd has three grown sons. Brooks Ladd, who lives in New Hampshire, said Tuesday the family had been trying to find out more information about the accident.Spencer Ladd, who lives in Canaan, said they had just come from the crash scene and that it was 'pretty brutal.''We've been fighting tooth and nail to get more information, but we haven't found out anything else,'Brooks Ladd said.Michael Fendler, a longtime friend who lives in Pittsfield, said he can't imagine what could have gone wrong. He said both Ladd and Hartley were experienced pilots.'It sounds like it was weather-related,'said Fendler, also a pilot. 'I know they were experienced pilots and we all know we're not suppose to fly in thunderstorms.'He said Ladd attended Waterville High School and the University of Colorado in Denver and served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War.Fendler said his friend was always willing to help people. He was a master engineer who contracted with railroad and tugboat companies and worked on airplanes. Flying was his passion. Ladd also was the 'man on call'when it came to helping with any plumbing, electrical, construction or mechanical problem a friend or neighbor might have.'He had a big heart,'he said. 'He cared very deeply for the people he loved and kept in touch with them, making sure to call and visit regularly. If he wasn't fixing their things, he was helping them with a project or sharing a story and a laugh.'Fendler said Ladd loved to tell stories. With 30 years of working with tugboat and railroad crews and hanging around small towns and airports, Ladd had many stories to share. He said Ladd was a true Mainer of the highest order.'His eyes would twinkle as he recalled a particular story that seemed to fit the conversation,'he said. 'He would make us roll with laughter as he raised his index finger and slowly spun the yarn of many colorful Maine characters or situations.'Jonathan Shute of North Yarmouth said Ladd enjoyed life to the fullest and lived on the edge. Shute met Ladd in the 1970s while working for the Maine Central Railroad.They worked together for different railroads, most recently the Maine Eastern Railroad. He said Ladd was that company's signal maintainer.'He had a number of interests that were transportation-related,'Shute said. 'He worked in aviation, in the marine industry and with railroads. On the personal side, he was out for the common man and believed in taking care of your neighbor. He demonstrated the kind of values and skills that the founding fathers of this nation had.''People like that are just wonderful,'he said. 'He was a great person to be around.'Spencer Ladd said his father was so multi-faceted and dealt with so many different people in so many different ways it would be hard to pin down his best feature.'He honestly did love helping people,'Ladd said. 'Last year, when I came back from China, he was getting payment in pie for some work he had done. The woman couldn't pay him so she paid him with pies. He got a different one every week.'Mechele Cooper -- 623-3811, Ext.
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