Morris Maxfield "Max" Close's Obituary
CLOSE, Morris Maxfield “Max”, age 82, of Springboro and formerly of Washington Twp., passed away on Saturday, June 6, 2026.
Max was born and raised in Richmond, Indiana. While attending school, he met the love of his life, his high school sweetheart, Christine Lingle. He graduated from Richmond High School, class of ’62, and later earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana University in 1967. He honorably served in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. He was a national sales manager with New Dimensions in Medicine, which brought Christine and Max to the Dayton area in the mid 1970s. In 1978, he obtained his real estate license and would soon serve his community as a skilled salesperson and broker. Max was a key member of the teams that opened both the first RE/MAX Real Estate location in Dayton, Ohio, and the first Keller Williams Realty location in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he worked until his official retirement in 2018.
Hunting, fishing, and bird dogs were some of Max’s passions. He was a supporter of Ducks Unlimited, a member of the Spring Run Trout Club, and the Český Fousek Dog Club. He enjoyed hunting elk out west with his son in Colorado; bird hunting in the Dakotas; fishing streams, rivers, lakes, and open water; and was a talented skeet shooter. He found satisfaction in building fly rods and fly tying. A collegiate golfer, he enjoyed a lifelong interest in the sport, traveling to different golf courses and playing with his group of friends. Max also had an artistic side. He could easily pick up a canvas and create a beautiful piece of art.
When growing up, his father was big into planes and worked with gliders during WWII. Eager to be more comfortable with planes and share a connection to his deceased father, he also became a licensed glider pilot. Max was an enthusiastic connoisseur of all types of outdoor equipment, and as a student of the natural world, he collected an enviable library of well-read books during his lifetime. Most recently, in his spare time, he also enjoyed building a boat in his barn.
Warm and loving, Max was very curious about things and had a great sense of humor. He was very proud of his family and had a close relationship with his children and grandchildren. His love of nature carried over into the culinary world, where he was an expert on smoked turkey and steelhead, and had his own secret recipe for salmon pate. The lead baker in the house shared many pie-baking marathons with his granddaughters using apples from the trees in the yard. Years ago, upon learning he would soon be a grandfather, he scoffed at traditional monikers and lobbied for “Spike,” and the name stuck. His granddaughters had him wrapped around their finger and could get nearly anything they wanted from their “Spiker”. Among many things, he will be remembered for the joyous love he had for his family, especially his granddaughters.
Max was preceded in death by his parents, Morris Lorain Close and Gertrude Henrietta Close. He is survived by his beloved wife of 59 years, Christie; one son, Jacob (Tory) Close; one daughter, Sarah (Jamie Hurtubise) Close; four grandchildren, Amelia June Benza, June Olivia Close, Cecila Rose Benza, and Avery Paige Close; two step-granddaughters, Rylie Lynn Hurtubise and Rowan Dunn Hurtubise; and brother-in-law, Paul (Pat) Lingle.
The family will receive friends from 1 pm to 3 pm on Monday, June 22nd, at Cox Arboretum MetroPark in Dayton. A celebration of life service will immediately follow at 3 pm at the same location. Stubbs-Conner Funeral Home is serving the family. if desired, contributions may be made to Ducks Unlimited or Ohio's Hospice of Dayton. Condolences may be expressed at https://www.stubbsconner.com
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