BIDDEFORD — Robert Perron, 96, of Biddeford, Maine died on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019 at the Southern Maine Health Care hospital in Biddeford.
Robert (Bob) was born on Dec. 2, 1922 in Biddeford, one of 13 children of the late Pierre and Dorilda (Baril) Perron. The family immigrated to Maine from the town of Matane, on the Gaspé Peninsula, in Québec, Canada. Bob grew up in Biddeford and lived his entire life in the community he loved.
Growing up in the years during the Great Depression, Bob learned to be thrifty, modest and resourceful. These qualities served him well throughout his life.
He attended St. Louis High School, graduating as a member of the Class of 1940.
As a shy but enterprising high school student, he worked at several local grocery stores where his skill with memorizing prices and anticipating his customers’ needs quickly earned him managerial positions.
Bob was drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II. He was inducted on Jan. 15, 1943 and was discharged on Dec. 5, 1945. While serving, he was assigned to the 486th Coast Artillery Battalion as an Automatic Weapons Crewman. At the onset of World War II, he participated in the Normandy Invasion which began on June 4, 1944. His battalion landed with the second wave of troops at Saint-Mère-Eglise on Omaha Beach. He was awarded a Victory Medal. Bob was very proud of his service to his country and often regaled whoever would inquire, with tales of his military adventures.
Following his Army service, he earned an Associate’s Degree at Northeastern Business College in Portland, Maine.
He gained a position at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in 1947. He began his career at the Navy Yard as an accounting clerk, soon became a payroll officer and was then promoted to the Comptroller’s Office. He retired in 1972 as the Disbursement Officer after 25 years of service.
Once retired, he enjoyed travel. He visited Italy, France, England and Brussels. Bob twice drove across the United States and especially liked exploring the West Coast (driving south along the Pacific Coast Highway from Washington State to Southern California). He loved the ocean and walking along the beaches. Bob could often be seen walking the beach at low tide, from Pine Point to the pier in Old Orchard Beach.
Bob was blessed with a vibrant intellect and a strong aptitude with numbers. An avid reader, he loved to browse and digest the daily papers. He particularly liked to follow the political news. Growing up, he avidly listened to late night presidential campaign speeches on the family radio. He greatly admired Harry Truman. His favorite Truman quote: “The only things worth learning are the things you learn after you know it all.”
Like his father and brothers, Bob thoroughly enjoyed playing card games. He could play all day and long into the night and he never refused a Cribbage challenge. He enjoyed all manner of sports; baseball, football, hockey and in particular, the Red Sox. He went to several games at Fenway Park and attended a Red Sox – Yankees game the season when the Sox won the World Series in 2013.
Bob lived a long and disciplined life. Over the past few years, he often thought about dying. Doing so, he became contemplative and spoke of missed opportunities. But, ever the pragmatist and family counselor, he then contended that “life is not so much a matter of being dealt a good hand, but of playing a poor hand well”. He understood that it’s the everyday experiences encountered along our journeys through life that define who we are.
Bob was a man of genuine integrity, generosity, kindness and warmth. His easy manner, his infectious smile, his generosity and concern for the happiness and comfort of others, belied a spirit filled with introspection and shyness. He leaves an indelible mark upon his family and on everyone who knew him.
He was a lifelong communicant and generous supporter of St. Joseph Church, in the Good Shepherd Parish, Biddeford. He also ardently supported the work of Father Fernand Paquet, a Maryknoll Missionary, who served in the Republic of South Korea for over 50 years.
Bob was predeceased by his parents Pierre and Dorilda, his brothers: Armand, Raoul, Edgar, Louis, Paul, Roland, George and his sisters: Yvonne (Soeur Marie de L’Eucharistie), Jeanne (Lajeunesse) Bard, Anita Michniewich, Theresa Bennett and Rose. He is survived by several nieces and nephews.
There will be no visiting hours. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Saturday at St. Joseph Church in Biddeford. Burial will be in St. Joseph’s Cemetery.
Arrangements are by Hope Memorial Chapel, 480 Elm St., Biddeford, ME 04005.
To share condolences online, please visit www.HopeMemorial.com.
Those who wish, may make a donation in Bob’s memory to: The Maryknoll Fathers, P.O. Box 302, Maryknoll, New York 10545-0302.
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