BRUNSWICK – Eugene Vaughn Billings passed away on the morning of Nov. 30, 2019, at the Maine Veteran’s Home in Scarborough, Maine. He was the son of Herman Billings and Harriet McClellan and was born in Madison, Maine, on Feb. 23, 1925. He attended Madison schools and graduated from Madison High School, class of 1943. At Madison High School he played three sports – football, basketball and baseball – and excelled in all three sports. Upon graduation, he enlisted in the Navy along with the majority of his classmates who also went on to serve in World War II. He was a signal corpsman on the USS Knapp, a Bath-built destroyer that was part of an Air-Craft Carrier group that island-hopped across the Pacific. His particular Carrier group was involved in the Japanese surrender and he was about 20 yards away from where Emperor Hirohito signed the armistice for Japanese surrender in the war.

Upon returning from serving in War War II, he attended Coburn Classical Institute in Waterville, Maine. he then attended Colby College where he was a three-sport athlete, playing football, basketball and baseball. During the summers while attending Colby, he played semi-pro baseball. He played one year in Bar Harbor and two summers for Marysville in Fredericton, New Brunswick. He played for 40- dollars a week in Canada, and said it was the best time he ever enjoyed playing competitive sports. He was really fond of his time spent playing baseball for Marysville. He attended Colby for three years and then transferred to Ithaca College in Ithaca, N.Y., where he graduated with a teaching degree in health and physical education.

After graduating from Ithaca, he returned to Maine to embark on a 25 year teaching/coaching career. He taught at Hampden Academy for one year. He taught and coached at Foxcroft Academy in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, for three years. He then followed his high school football coach, Warren ‘Barron’ Pearl to Brunswick High School, where he taught and coached for 22 years. At Brunswick, he coached football for 14 years, coached freshman, junior varsity and varsity basketball coaching the varsity basketball team from 1965 to 1970. He also coached JV baseball.

Mr. Billings was an avid golfer, having picked up the game while playing baseball in Canada. He was a member of the Brunswick Golf Club and Mere Creek Golf Club both located in Brunswick, Maine. He enjoyed playing golf with his two sons, a daughter and his grandsons. He set up a small golf course in his backyard where his grandsons played with “cut-down” custom made clubs specially made by “Grampy.”

Mr. Billings is survived by his wife, Frances S. Billings; and six children: Alison Billings of Dennis, Massachusetts, Gerald Billings (Diane) Portland, Maine, Raymond Billings (Jennifer) Marblehead, Mass., Georgi Estes, Freeport, Maine, Lori Labonte (Dan) Blythe, S.C., and Staci Grasky (Jim) Cumberland, Maine; eight grandchildren: Dennis Estes, Ryan Billings, Emily Estes, Graham Billings, Sawyer Billings, Christopher Billings, Henry Billings and Tyler Grasky. He was predeceased by his brother, Gerald D. Billings of Madison, Maine, and son-in-law, Gard Estes of Freeport, Maine.

A private family graveside service will be held at the Maine Memorial Veteran’s Cemetery in Augusta, Maine on December 20, 2019. A reception for friends and family will be held at the Mere Creek Golf Club 41 Merriconeag Rd. Brunswick, ME 04011

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Gene’s name to the Maine Veteran’s Home in Scarborough, Maine

290 US Route 1

Scarborough, ME 04074

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