Roland was born March 16th, 1933 in Waterville, Maine to Walter and Lillian (Dunbar) Desjardins. Roland attended school in Lisbon, Bath and the Brunswick area school system.
Eager to serve his country and with a bit of trickery, Roland entered the National Guard at very young age and at age 16, bluffed his way into the U.S. Army during the end of WWll and the beginning of the Korean War. During his service in the town of Kalrou Germany, Roland was injured, losing his leg and spent many months at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington rehabilitating.
Never daunted, Roland returned to Maine, and held many jobs but never let his disabilities slow him down. After a try as a cook, restaurant owner, taxi driver etc. In 1958 Roland began his career as a boiler-man and spent the next 40 plus years, running a variety of boiler rooms throughout the state. He spent the majority of those years working for Miller industries at the Worumbo Mill in Lisbon Falls.
Roland’s hobbies included motor cycles, boats and cars but his passion was fishing and his time spent on Moosehead Lake with family and friends. Roland was married twice, first to Joan Elaine Balliet of Brunswick and to Sandra Creighton- Desjardins of Sabattus. He leaves behind his children, Diane Brown and her husband Larry of Buckfield, Brenda Larson and her husband JD of North Dakota, Keith Smith of Litchfield, Richard Desjardins and his wife Kelly of Brunswick, Stephen Smith and his partner Pauline Fazekas of Lisbon Falls, Theresa Desjardins of Brunswick, Jennifer Brown and her husband Kevin of Turner, and 17 grandchildren.
He was predeceased by his wife Sandra and a daughter Linda Gilley. Online condolences and stories may be shared with Roland’s family through www.crosmanfuneralhome.com.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday at 1pm at the funeral home with the Pastor James Lufkin officiating. Burial will take place at a later date at Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Sabattus.
A service of Crosman Funeral Home, Cremation & Monument Services 40 Main St. Lisbon Falls.
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