SANFORD — Roger E. Quirion, 83, of Sanford died in Sanford on Oct. 11, 2014.

Roger was born on Feb. 4, 1931 to Emile and Maria (Couture) Quirion in Sanford, where he grew up and attended local schools, graduating from Sanford High School in 1949.

In 1952, he married Rejean Jacobs and together they raised four children and shared 47 years of marriage until her death in 1999. In 2001, he married Mary Finn and together they enjoyed traveling and shared 13 years of marriage.

Music was a very important part of Roger’s life. He joined the St. Ignatius Drum and Bugle Corps at the age of 9. He went on to play the trumpet in the Sanford High School Band.

In 1949, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and was accepted as a member of the newly formed USAF Drum and Bugle Corps after completing basic training. Roger lived in Washington, D.C. during his years in the military and was fortunate to be able to travel the globe with the drum and bugle corps, performing in Tokyo, Japan, Berlin, Germany and everywhere in between.

He returned to Sanford after serving for eight years in the military and achieving the rank of staff sergeant. In 1959, Roger took over the Sanford Dairy Queen from his parents, which he owned and operated for 23 years. In 1976, he started playing the trumpet in the Sanford Community Band and in 1989 he joined the Strafford County Wind Symphony in Rochester. Roger was a collector of jazz music videos, cassettes, CDs and vinyl. He also collected coins, volunteered as a driver for Meals on Wheels for many years, and drove a school bus in Sanford for more than 30 years. He will be remembered as a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, and will be dearly missed by his family and friends.

Roger was preceded in death by: his first wife, Rejean Quirion; his brother, Charles Quirion; and his sister-in-law, Annette Quirion.

He is survived by: his loving wife, Mary Finn Quirion of Sanford; one son, Kenneth Quirion and his wife Kerry of Sanford; three daughters, Kathy Drown and her husband Bob of Webster, New Hampshire, Cecile Martineau and her husband Raymond of Sanford and Texas, and R. Doreen Jacobs of Shapleigh; four stepchildren, Deborah Conte of Virginia Beach, Virginia, Roy “Bill” Danis and his wife Nancy of Dayton, Michael Danis of Lyman, and James Danis and his wife Beth of Epping, New Hampshire; six grandchildren, Adele Doyle of Waltham, Massachusetts, Daniel Martineau and his wife Wendy of Sanford, David Martineau and his wife Whitney of San Antonio, Texas, Kaitlyn Quirion of North Berwick, Cory Quirion of Portsmouth, Virginia and Robert (Jake) Drown and his wife Valerie of Webster, New Hampshire; four step-grandchildren, Melisa Danis of Dayton, Ryan Danis of Waterboro, Malinda Danis of Raymond, New Hampshire and Melissa Long and her husband Josh of Epping, New Hampshire; seven great-grandchildren; and two step great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be held from 4-7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 14 at the Lafrance-Lambert & Black Funeral Home located at 29 Winter St. in Sanford. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 15 at St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish, Holy Family Church, located on North Avenue in Sanford. Interment with military honors will be at the Southern Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery located on Stanley Road in Springvale. Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider the Southern Maine Agency on Aging, Meals on Wheels, 136 U.S. Route 1, Scarborough ME 04074 or the Alzheimer’s Association, 383 US Route 1, Suite 2c, Scarborough, ME 04074. Arrangements are under the direction of Black Funeral Homes and Cremation Service, Sanford-Springvale. To leave a message of condolence for the family, visit www.blackfuneralhomes.com.