Arthur J. Bourget Jr.

Winslow - Arthur Joseph Bourget Jr., 55, of Winslow Maine, passed away on April 2nd, 2022.
A graveside, Military burial will be held at 2:00 April 29, 2022 at The Veterans' Memorial Cemetery, 163 Mt. Vernon Road, Augusta, Maine. A celebration of Arthur's life will immediately follow at the Winslow VFW. Friends and family are invited to attend both the burial and Life Celebration. People are welcome to bring a dish to share. Arthur's favorite shirt to wear for festive occasions was a Hawaiian shirt, the more colorful, the better. For those attending Arthur's Life Celebration, the family invites all of you to wear a Hawaiian shirt in his memory.
Arthur, also known as "Art" or "Joey", was born on August 24, 1966 in Waterville, Maine to Peggy-Lee Sheaff and Arthur Bourget Sr.. He graduated from Winslow High School in 1985, then immediately after, enlisted in The United States Marine Corps where he successfully served for four years. During his time in the Marine Corps, Arthur specialized in Marine Aviation Logistics and Supply. He was stationed in Okinawa Japan, Beaufort SC, Mississippi, Thailand, California and Arizona.
When Arthur Returned home from the Marines, he worked for Hannaford Supermarket for 3 years in a management capacity. He then enrolled into the Criminal Justice Academy and became a police officer. Arthur proudly served the people of Waterville, Maine for several years and was recognized by the Mayor and his peers with accommodations for "Bravery", "Exemplary Service by a Patrol Officer" and "Officer of the Year". During his career in law enforcement, Arthur also served the Town of Winslow in a part-time capacity and The Capital Police in Augusta, Maine.
After Arthur resigned from Law Enforcement, he returned to Hannaford Supermarkets as a Loss Prevention Specialist and then into a Safety/Risk Management Training Specialist position where he continued to work until his death.
Arthur was predeceased by his mother, Peggy Sheaff; aunt, Mona Bourget; uncles, Larry Bourget and David Bourget; and niece, Morgan Green. Arthur is survived by his father, Arthur Bourget Sr.; step mother, Helen Bourget; daughter, Emma Bourget; former wife of 19 years, Sandy Bourget; sister and brother-in-law, Kim and David Larrabee; brother, Jim Begin; aunt, Nancy Belanger; uncles, Roger Belanger, James Bourget and Al Bourget; nieces, Heather Larrabee and Marisa Green; nephews, Sam Larrabee and Jason Begin; along with many cousins and extended family.
In 1997, Arthur met Sandy Pomerleau and they were married on June 1st, 2002. Arthur and Sandy had one daughter, Emma Bourget.
Arthur's daughter, Emma, was the light in his life and he had immense pride in watching her grow. He was a goofy, fun father who took every opportunity to get involved in his daughter's life. Arthur became involved in the Gardiner Theater (Open Book Players), went to every sporting event possible and was constantly delving his family into as many community activities as he could, he especially enjoyed fairs, well, fair food.
Arthur had a special love for animals, all animals. His goal was to someday own an English Bulldog named "Fluffy". During his lifetime he had several rescue dogs and cats, but he also rescued, or some say, kidnapped, a baby turtle from the back yard who he and his daughter Emma named "Catty"... they kept Catty as a pet, or hostage, for like five years before releasing her back into the wild!
When Arthur was not rescuing, or kidnapping helpless animals, he liked to indulge in watching sports. He was a huge Dallas Cowboy fan. When you saw Arthur, he was sporting Dallas Cowboy attire in some form or fashion. If Arthur couldn't watch The Dallas Cowboys, he cheered on The Boston Red Sox and the Boston Bruins.
Besides his joy of sports, Arthur also found joy in collecting items of all sorts. Baseball cards, Beanie Babies, Christmas bears and Pez dispensers were just a few of these items. He also liked to Hunt, Golf, and Fish, but his absolute favorite thing to do was to spend time with friends.
On a more serious note, Arthur struggled with serious illnesses, but he never let the pain take the sparkle from his eyes and he never forgot the second chance at life he was given. He believed so passionately about blood donation that he committed the last 10 years of his life as a spokesperson for the American Red Cross. Arthur was on the local American Red Cross board and held the Community Volunteer Leader status. He spent numerous volunteer hours promoting blood drives and participating in media interviews to endorse the cause.
Beyond Arthur's volunteer hours with the American Red Cross, he was also a member of the Knights of Columbus, a men's community service organization that follows the Catholic faith. Within this organization, he held the positions of "Grand Knight", "Faithful Navigator", and "Sir Knight". Arthur further showed his Catholic Faith through St. Joseph's Church in Gardiner, Maine when he became a Eucharistic Minister and Lector.
In closing, Arthur was a man of great integrity. He lived a virtuous life and genuinely cared for others. He could make people smile and laugh in a way that many cannot duplicate, even through his pain. Arthur was a true and loyal friend, loving husband and father, respected by all, and the best brother and uncle anyone could ask for. He will truly be missed and be forever in our hearts.
In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family requests donations be made to a local animal shelter or the American Red Cross in Arthur's name.