Arthur C. Markos
Old Orchard Beach-Arthur C. Markos, “Tom,” 1950 - 2018, of Old Orchard Beach, husband of Diana Markos and former President of Gardiner Savings Bank of Maine passed away peacefully on July 15th surrounded by his loving family after a brief stay at Gosnell Memorial Hospice House in Scarborough. Son of the late Christopher and Ethel Galanis Markos of Augusta and predeceased by a sister, Andrea Markos of Augusta. He is survived by daughter Carol Sinclair and her husband Robert and their son Ryan of Farmingdale and Nick of Nashville; son Christopher and his wife Sai-Lee, and their son Avery and daughter Arianna of Gardiner; son Stephen and his wife Katie, and daughters Quinn and Hayden of Winchester, Massachusetts; sister Cynthia Nichols and her husband George of Palm Coast, Florida, sister
Angela Barrett and her husband George of Cumberland.
Tom grew up in the Augusta area graduating from Cony High School in 1968. He joined the U.S. Air force a year later serving in Texas, Louisiana, and on the islands of Crete and Taiwan during the Vietnam War. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from UMA in 1975 with a B.A. in Business Administration. While going to UMA he began his banking career, working part time in the bookkeeping department at Dirigo Bank and Trust Company. By 1981 he was VP and Treasurer in charge of bank operations, human resources, lending, regulatory relations and the bank's investment portfolio.
He met and married Diana upon returning from military service and because of her, his life was blessed. Diana has been a wonderful partner for 44 years and they enjoyed spending time with their family, traveling often and spent many nights together dancing the night away. His parents told him "once you have children they are your most important job in life" and he made sure family was not forgotten. He loved Carol, Chris and Stephen and let them know how important they were to him.
Tom was very proud of his banking career, serving as President of the Gardiner based bank from 1983 – 2010. During his tenure he led the bank with strong growth while also developing strong charitable and economic development programs for the community. The bank averaged 40% per year growth in capital and added more than 30 locations including Midcoast, Northern, Downeast, and Southern markets to its Central Maine roots. Employees grew from less than 40 to over 300 and payroll increased from less than a million to over 16 million dollars annually under his tenure.
Tom will be most remembered for his positive outlook on life, sense of humor and generosity to others. Tom was always quick with a compliment and he loved to find the best qualities in people. He enjoyed interacting with people from all walks of life, having conversations and sharing experiences with all he came into contact. Tom enjoyed playing golf with his wife, sons and friends, taking up the game in his thirties. On the golf course his best qualities were unmistakable. He was famous for his positivity, always exclaiming “good miss” and “that’s a gainer” on his partners’ mis-hits. Tom was quick with a generous ‘gimme for his playing partners by announcing “GPP”. He, however, hated to take putts and always insisted on missing 3 footers himself. He quickly
realized that trips to Myrtle Beach with the guys and later with his sons were unforgettable experiences and they made for some of the most memorable times in his life. Many laughs were had on these trips and provided memories that lasted a lifetime.
In their retirement years, Tom and Diana made Old Orchard Beach their home. They loved the ocean views, the hustle and bustle of the community and spending time with kids and grandkids on the beach. Tom spent many nights teaching his grandkids why everyone said not to trade with Papou when playing Monopoly and somehow always winning marathon games of Risk. In OOB, their home continues to be the family’s hub to meet, spend holidays and enjoy special times together.
Arthur was a member of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of Portland. The family wishes to thank the doctors and nurses, especially Dr. Wrona and his staff, Hospice of Southern Maine and Gosnell House for their great care. The family will hold a private ceremony at a later date. Donations may be made to Hospice of Southern Maine. Gifts may be mailed to HSM at 180 US Route One, Scarborough, ME 04074, or made online at www.hospiceofsouthernmaine.org/give.
Online condolences may be expressed below.
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