Sebastian J. Cultrera

Eliot, Maine-Sebastian J. Cultrera, 93 passed away at his home on November 23, 2020.  He was born in Lawrence, MA on June 9, 1927, the son of Carmello and Josephine Cultrera.  He was predeceased by 2 sisters, Michelina and Concetta and one brother Salvatore, all of which he loved and adored.  He graduated from Lawrence HS in 1944 where he was a track and football star and enlisted in the Army Air Force after graduating.  After his discharge from the Air Force following WW II in 1946, he attended Colby College and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1951 and ultimately earned a master’s degree from UNH.  While at Colby he met and married his wife Nancy MacDonald and moved to Kittery and finally to his home in Eliot in 1954 where he lived the rest of his life.  They had 4 children, Stephen, Bruce, Philip and David and these boys were the love of his life.  Many happy years were spent at the farm in Eliot where he raised them along with countless cows, horses, pigs, dogs and cats. Always remembering his whistle call for his boys to come home for dinner.

Sebastian was a lifelong teacher.  After 33 years as a Science and Marine Biology teacher at Traip Academy in Kittery, Maine, he retired happily in 1984.  While as a teacher at Traip, he was always exploring new ways to educate his very many students.  Whether it was with his window bee hive, the Regional Academic Marine Program he started for his biology students, his Oyster farm in Spinney Creek, or his love of computers, where at Traip he designed grading and other programs, to his love of the ocean as a diver and boat owner, he spent many years enjoying and teaching about the ocean.  His students always respected his “tough but fair” style of teaching and in the many years following his retirement, he reflected on how much he loved to teach the high school mind.  This passion for teaching continued in retirement to his four boys and many grandchildren and great grandchildren.  After his retirement he enjoyed traveling.  From a train ride to California to visit his brother Sam and sister Mickey, the countless trips to Boston to his sister Connie’s and his trip to Italy with his son Philip was something he spoke of often as he loved seeing the land of his descendants.

His many healthy years of retirement were filled with happy days of golfing, building toy boxes, rocking horses and many wood working projects for his family.  Sebastian always had a beautiful garden and spent a lot of time in his greenhouse nurturing and loving his plants.  He loved to work on cars, whether it was rebuilding cars from the ground up, or buying and selling them, many days in his son’s shop working on the latest car he bought only to sell it and then go on to the next project car.  Corvettes, Camaros and Grand Prix’s were his favorites.  He always made sure he made time to attend the many sporting events of his children and grandchildren, especially football games at Marshwood High School and Maine Maritime Academy and as recently as his last few years to watch his son David coach at Marshwood.  His grandchildren were the light of his life and “Bampa, as they referred to him, was the light of theirs as well. He loved watching them grow and hearing of their many accomplishments from the theatres to the racetracks, to sports fields and to their military and educational successes.  Watching the Red Sox and Patriots was one of his favorite pastimes and would usually be followed up with a phone call to rehash and analyze the games.    

He was a very strong believer in the love of family and spending time with them was the greatest pleasure of his life.  The importance of the family ties and in the tradition of his Italian heritage, the love of food.  Family dinners were of great importance to him as this was a chance to sit and talk about the day’s events and enjoy a good meal.  Taking the time to relax and reflect over dinner was a priority for Sebastian.  He loved a nice cold beer on a hot summer day, exactly at 4PM, which he referred to as the “Nectar of the Gods”, and a small glass of Glen Livet from time to time.  He was a great cook, but his specialty was his “Bampa salads”, they were simple, but no one was able to duplicate them. 

Sebastian leaves behind four sons, Stephen and his wife Joann of Eliot, Maine, Bruce and his wife Karen of Mont Vernon NH, Philip and his wife Teressa of Prospect Harbor Maine and David and his wife Marie of Eliot Maine.  9 Grandchildren, Lauren, Kyle and Jessica, children of Stephen and Joann, Sean and Roxanne children of Bruce and Karen, Angelina and Anthony, children of Philip and Teressa and Ryan, son of David and Marie. 7 Great Grandchildren with another one on the way, many nieces and nephews.

In Sebastian’s words, “Be brave and kind and true”.

Visiting hours will take place on Tuesday,  December 15th in the Lucas & Eaton Funeral Home, 91 Long Sands Rd.,  York, Maine from 4 to 6 pm with a private family service following.  Private Burial with Military Honors will be held in the Brooks Memorial Cemetery in Eliot, Maine.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Traip Academy’s Student fund to be named later in Sebastian’s name.

Visit www.lucaseatonfuneralhome.com

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