BIDDEFORD — The heavens opened on Thursday, Oct. 18 at 5 a.m. as Alcide Joseph William Bergeron said goodbye, surrounded by his family and enough love to survive a thousand generations.

Born Dec. 24, 1929 to Horace and Edna Bergeron of Cumberland, Rhode Island, he got out of Dodge as soon as legally possible and made his way north, serving his country proudly in the U.S. Navy during the Korean Conflict and sailing the seven seas. Sid finally planted his roots in Biddeford, Maine where he spent the majority of his working life as a mailman extraordinaire for the U.S. Postal Service in Saco, as well as with the Biddeford Tannery and on the railroad.

Sid was a master of nature and the outdoors; Ernest Hemingway kept him on speed dial for fly fishing pointers, and Daniel Boone was known to check in from time to time for hunting tips.  Sid kept a kennel of beloved beagles and hunting hounds and raced pigeons with anyone who dared challenge the prowess of his flock.  His grandchildren were one of the great joys of his life; he spent hours teaching and playing with them, and patented a game of hide and seek “Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum” that put ogres and giants to shame.  Sid was an avid joke teller and the life of any gathering — Milton Berle and Don Rickles begged him for stand-up material — and Sid, despite being a lifelong flirt, repeatedly declined requests from Hugh Hefner for advice with the ladies, insisting he had his hands full with the love of his life.  He was also a lifelong conservationist and avid recycler, and did his best to protect the planet, one piece of aluminum at a time.

Sid was predeceased by his parents, his brothers Teddy and George Bergeron, and his sister Alice Page.

Sid is survived by his wife of 66 years, Anita; his five children, Debra Roy, Diane Beckim, Denise Cross, William Bergeron and James Bergeron; his eight grandchildren; and five great grandchildren. He leaves behind a legacy of laughter, light, and love, and his void will forever be felt among everyone he ever encountered.

Family, friends, and well-wishers are invited to a celebration of life, laughs, and joke telling on Saturday, Oct. 27 at 2 p.m. at Hope Memorial Chapel in Biddeford.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations in Sid’s name to Hospice of Southern Maine (www.hospiceofsouthernmaine.org)

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