NORWAY – Roy Earle of Norway, died Dec. 30, 2023 at his winter home in California at the age of 99.

Born March 5, 1924 in Montclair, N.J., he was the son of Royal Flint Earle, Sr. and Elva Laura (Land) Earle. He graduated from Bloomfield High School in 1942 and soon began working at the pharmaceutical company, Hoffmann-La Roche.

Roy enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on Nov. 10, 1942 and served in the 4th Marine Division during World War II. He fought in four major battles: Roi-Namur, Saipan, Tinian, and his last and toughest of them all, Iwo Jima, where 55 percent of the division was lost. Mr. Earle was in the assault waves of each battle and always said, “I ran into each one and was able to walk off without being wounded.” He recently published a memoir of his wartime experiences titled Short, Fast, and Lucky.

After returning from the Pacific, he wed his high school band sweetheart, Audrey Clubb, in 1947. They met on the bus when the band traveled to perform at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York City, N.Y. When Audrey wanted to ride the rollercoaster, Roy was the only one who volunteered to join her. They raised three children and were married for 44 years until her death in 1992.

Roy returned to work at Roche and used his GI Bill benefits through nine years of night school at Rutgers University where he received an A.S. in Management in 1951, a B.S. in Business Administration in 1953, and an M.B.A. in 1955. He declined an offer to continue his business studies in the doctoral program, saying he had been in school for 21 years, but he could not stay out of the classroom for long. After teaching evening courses at Fairleigh Dickenson University for seven years, he retired from his position in public relations at Roche in 1967 to teach full-time. Upon moving to Maine, he joined the faculty of Ricker College in Houlton from 1967 to 1974, then Casco Bay College in Portland from 1975 until he retired in 1989 as Dean of Evening School and Chair of the Business Administration Department. Even in his second retirement he often returned to the classroom to volunteer in Yarmouth schools.

He married Linda (Knudsen) Smith in 1999, with whom he enjoyed two decades of travel throughout the U.S. and Europe, making their home in Norway and spending winters in Linda’s hometown of Alameda, Calif.

Roy was an active Marine veteran, visiting classrooms throughout Maine to share his experiences in the war, as well as attending annual national reunions of the 4th Marine Division for many years until 2015 when the division officially furled their colors at Camp LeJeune. For the past two years he attended an annual commemoration of the battle of Iwo Jima in Washington, D.C., as one of the last remaining survivors.

He was also an active member of Rotary International for over 40 years in the Houlton, Freeport, and Oxford Hills clubs; the Marine Memorial Association in San Francisco, Calif.; and First Congregational Church in South Paris. Other longtime volunteer efforts included the Maine PBS television auction, Toys for Tots, and Little League baseball for which he earned the Maine Umpire of the Year award for 1974.

Roy’s motto was, “If it’s not fun, don’t do it.” This was reflected in his joy of teaching, working, playing, and speaking with people of all ages and backgrounds. As he often said, “People have more fun than anybody.”

Roy was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Audrey; sisters Lois and Beverly; son, Glenn Sr.; and grandson, Glenn Jr.

He is survived by his loving wife, Linda Earle; son, Wayne Earle and his wife, Connie of Fryeburg, and daughter, Joyce Earle and her husband, Dennis Hoey of Freeport. He also leaves a grandson, Kevin Hoey; and two great-granddaughters, Izabel Wales and Abigail Ortiz.

A memorial service will be held at First Congregational Church of South Paris on Saturday, April 27 at 11 a.m. Burial will be at the Cousins Island Cemetery at a later date.

Memorial donations may be made to support the welfare of veterans through

Honor Flight Maine,

Travis Mills Foundation,

Tunnel to Towers,

or another organization

of your choice.

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