He grew up in the South End of Bath where he attended the neighborhood schools Mitchell on the corner of Weeks and High streets, (now Universe Gym), and Weeks Street Grammar School on the corner of Weeks and Middle streets, (now the Corliss Street Baptist Church Annex). He also attended Central Grammar School on High Street where the Bath Fire Department is now located. He attended Morse High School and graduated in June 1949.
While at Morse, he was a member of the Student Council, several clubs, participated in class plays and was associate editor of the Class Yearbook. He graduated with honors and was a member of the National Honor Society. He also received the Bausch and Lomb award for excellence in science subjects. After graduation, he attended the University of Maine. While at the university he was a manager of the crosscountry team and after a fire lost their dormitory, he helped raise funds to assist fellow students that had lost their books and personal belongings in the fire.
During his school years, he delivered the Bath Daily Times in the South End. He and his brother John had one of the largest paper routes in the city. They delivered the paper six days a week and received a nickel a week for each customer. He also worked as a janitor helper at the former Mitchell and Weeks Street Schools.
As a teenager, he worked as a clerk and stock boy at Crossman’s Market which was located on Washington Street near Pine Street. This was his first job and paid .25 cents an hour. While working there he learned meat cutting and worked on the meat counter. This was long before pre-packaged meats that many stores now sell.
During the summers of 1948 and 1949, he worked at the former Hyde Home for Crippled Children and Adults, (now Hyde School), where he met Claire Wing of North Bath who later became his wife. She was working with small children that had been affected by the polio epidemic that was throughout the state, especially the Northern Sections.
He was a veteran of the Korean Conflict having served in the United States Army and was honorably discharged as Sergeant First Class and Radar Section Chief.
After his discharge, he went to work at the Bath Iron Works as a laboratory technician in the Chemical, Metallurgical and Environmental metals and minerals. He also did mechanical testing for physical properties of metals and minerals and performed failure analysis of metals. For several years, he taught Metallurgy in the BIW Apprentice School.
In 1979, he was promoted to senior chemist and in 1990 to laboratory manager, a position he held until his retirement in May 1995. Prior to his promotion, he had been a member of the Bath Marine Draftsman’s Association for 28 years. He had a total of 43 and a half years of service at BIW when he retired, all in the laboratory.
He was a Certified Marine Chemist for the National Fire Protection Association, one of less than 100 in the country. He was a member of the Marine Chemist Association for 25 years. This organization is devoted to the development and dissemination of methods for evaluating and eliminating health, fire and explosive hazards in the marine industry. It is dedicated to protecting life and property by control of gas hazards on marine vessels, land-based storage tanks and confined spaces. He served three terms on the Executive Committee of the Association representing Marine Chemists from Maine to Florida. This Committee acts as the Board of Directors of the Marine Chemist Association.
After his retirement from BIW, he continued to work as a Marine Chemist inspecting and certifying various types of marine vessels from small boats for the Coast Guard to tankers over 600 feet long. He also inspected land-based storage tanks for clients in Maine, New
Hampshire and Vermont until his final retirement in November 2013.
During this time, he and his wife attended Marine Chemist Seminars in various locations including: Williamsburg, VA, Seattle, WA, Mobile, AL, Nashville, TN, Honolulu, HI, Mystic, CT, New Orleans, LA, San Diego, CA, Newport, RI, Charleston, SC. He was active in the Boy Scouts of America for over 25 years. He served as a Scoutmaster, Committee Member, Merit Badge Counselor, and a member of the Board of Review for the former Downeast and Sagadahoc Districts. He also received the Scouters Award from the Pine Tree Boy Scout Council and was a member of the Order of the Arrow.
He served as a call fighter on the Bath Fire Department for over 47 years. He was appointed to the Department in September 1958, promoted to Lieutenant in September 1973, and to Captain in June 1975. During this time, while on the BFD he attended many training classes in York County and Bangor in fire and haz-mat operations, he served under seven fire chiefs. He retired from the Department on Dec. 31, 2005, as Senior Captain. He helped fight many major fires including the Hotel Sedgwick in September 1973. There were four fatalities in the fire and it was his first fire as an officer. Other major fires included MacDonald’s Boat Yard, Beacon Street Methodist Church, Hyde School Mansion, Brunswick Junior High School, Wasburn Lumber Yard, Mill Street Block in Brunswick and Poulos Horse Farm in North Bath. In 1984, he received a Letter of Commendation for his action at a structure fire in North Bath. He was honored in March 2006 by the Bath City Council with a Proclamation Plaque and a Heritage Chair for his many years of service to the city of Bath and its citizens.
During his high school years, he was a member of the W.S. (Pete) Newall Veteran Firemen’s Association which was made up of high school students and traveled all over New England to Firemen’s Musters.
From 1958 to 1963, he was a part-time agent for the Allstate Insurance Company and operated out of the Sears Store on Centre Street where the Washington House is now located. In 1974, he went to school and studied real estate, becoming a licensed real estate agent.
He was also an advisory board member of the former Gardiner Savings Institution, FSB, for several years. This is now the Bank of Maine.
He also enjoyed deer hunting, especially with his son. For over 20 years, he and several friends hunted in Wesley, Maine, from a camp owned by the late Orris Ames. He was a member of the Biggest Bucks in Maine having qualified with a deer shot in Wesley in 1961.
He married Claire Wing on April 19, 1952. They had a daughter Sandra and a son John. They lived in Hyde Park for the first four years of their marriage as did many other couples that were just getting started in their marriages. In 1956, they moved to the South End of Bath and lived on Washington Street for 18 years before building their home on the Varney Mill Road in North Bath. Their children attended the Mitchell School, as did their father, prior going to the Bath Junior High School. While the children were growing up, the family enjoyed camping all over the Northeast especially White Lake State Park in Tamworth, N.H. Their children enjoy camping there now with their grandchildren.
He and his wife attended the graduation of their grandson Matthew Gilson from the University of Montana in Missoula, Mont. They also attended the graduation of their granddaughter Megan Fuller from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Ariz. While there they visited the Grand Canyon and the Sedona scenic lands.
He was an active member of the Corliss Street Baptist Church and served it in many positions over the years. He was a Sunday School teacher for high school students and adults, a member of the choir, and chairman of the Finance Committee. Previously, he had served as a deacon, lay preacher and Sunday School superintendent.
In 1996, he was co-chairman of the reconstruction of the church after a serious fire on April 17, 1996, caused much damage to the church. During the six months of reconstruction he worked with insurance adjustors, contractor personnel, and helped to coordinate church members who worked during the demolition phase and later doing some of the interior work.
He was a member of Solar Lodge #14, A&AM, for over 50 years and Worshipful Master in 1967, 1984 and 1985. Over the years he officiated at many Masonic Memorial Services and Funerals for departed brothers. And was noted for the quality of the services. For several years, he served as Lodge Blood Bank Chairman and later as chairman for the 14th Masonic District. He was former member of the Masters and Wardens Association of the 14th Masonic District and served as its secretary in 1966 and its president in 1967. While at Bath Iron Works he was a member of the Brothers in Work Degree Team. He was a member of the Bath Masonic Building Association and served as its secretary for over 40 years.
He was a member of Montgomery & St. Bernard Royal Arch Chapter #2, Mount Vernon Council #2 of Royal & Select Masters, and Dunlap Commandery #5 of the York Rites of Masonry. He was also a member of Yates Lodge of Perfection, Portland Council of Princess of Jerusalum, Dunlap Chapter of rose Croix and a 32-degree Mason of the Maine Consistory, Valley of Portland, all of the Scottish Rites of Masonry. He was a member of Kora Shriners of Lewiston and had been a member of the Kora Kraftsman Degree Team.
He was predeceased by his father on Jan. 5, 1993, and his mother on Aug. 26, 2002.
Survivors include his wife Claire; daughter, Sandra Gilson and husband William of Bath; son, John and his wife Arlene of Westbrook; granddaughter, Meagan Fuller and her husband Marc of North Bath; grandsons, Matthew Gilson and his wife Christina of Kansas City, MO and Brian Lutz and his companion Linda Smith of Portland; great-grandsons, Grayson Riley Fuller of North Bath, Waylon William Fuller of North Bath, Keagan Riley Lutz of Portland, Carter William Gilson of Kansas City, MO; greatgranddaughter, Avery Elizabeth Fuller of North Bath. He is also survived by brothers, John and his wife Beatrice of Scarborough, and Richard and his wife Jeanne of Bath; a sister, Sue Ellen Darling and her husband Jeff of West Bath; five step grandchildren, two step great-grandchildren and by several cousins, nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to: Corliss Street Baptist Church, 402 Middle St., Bath, ME 04530 or the Bath Masonic Building Association, P.O. Box 274, Bath, ME 04530.
Visiting hours will be held on Monday, Jan. 5, 2015, from 4 to 6 p.m. at David E. Desmond & Son Funeral Home, 638 High St., Bath. A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015, at 11 a.m. at the Corliss Street Baptist Church, Corliss Street, Bath. Burial will be in the family lot in Oak Grove Cemetery, Annex, in the spring.
His life was devoted to his family, church, community and country. He loved them and his family and was proud of all of them.
To share condolences and thoughts with the family, please visit www.desmondfuneralhomes.com.
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