BUCKFIELD —A GoFundMe page has raised more than $40,000 in one day for the family of Denny Bly, a longtime Buckfield firefighter who died Friday while snowmobiling at Cedar Lake in Penobscot County.

Bly, 42, leaves behind his wife, Sarah, and two daughters Paige and Zoey.

Denny Bly

Family friend John Bosse, who organized the GoFundMe page, described Bly as a “gentle giant.” The page characterized Bly’s death as the result of a snowmobile accident. Funds will be used for funeral expenses and for his daughters’ future. Bosse’s goal for the family is $50,000.

A lifelong Buckfield resident, Bly was born June 4, 1980, the oldest of four children to Steven and Joanne Bly. He graduated from Buckfield High School in 1998, where, according to his obituary, “he spent most of his high school days with his best buddy Luke, rewriting words to country songs and memorizing skits from Cheech and Chong.”

He met Sarah in school, and they married on June 16, 2007. They built their home, which was a source of pride, from the ground up with the help of family and friends. He enjoyed watching his daughters’ basketball games.

Sarah Bly has worked several years as a field epidemiologist for the Maine Center for Disease Control.

For several years, he owned and operated Bly’s Garage in Buckfield. At the time of his death, he worked as the aggregate and pit manager at St. Laurent & Son Excavation, which Bosse described as his “second home.”

He was proud to serve his community as a member of the Buckfield Fire Department. He had an affinity for auto racing, both the local scene and NASCAR.

Cedar Lake was a favorite spot to go snowmobiling.

Bly is survived by his wife, two daughters, his parents and three sisters.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, at Buckfield High School at 160 Morrill St. Arrangements are under the care of Chandler Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Paris.

Donations to his GoFundMe page can be made at https://gofund.me/1fbeb270.