Roland A. Burgess Obituary (1919 - 2007)

Roland Burgess of 18 Frawley St., Winslow passed away on November 11 after a long illness. He was born on December 11, 1919 in Waterville, the son of Napoleon and Anne Durrette Burgess. He was educated in Waterville schools. In 1942 he moved to South Portland where he worked at the shipyard building Liberty ships. In 1943 he was drafted into the Army and became a member of the 88th Infantry Division - the Blue Devils. After military training in Oklahoma and Mississippi, his unit was sent to North Africa. The main body of the 88th was transported to Italy in early February 1944, arriving in the Naples area in increments as they were ferried across from Oran, Algeria. Mr. Burgess and his unit marched into Rome on June 4, 1944 as part of a huge victory parade through the center of the city. For his heroic service during intense combat operations, Mr. Burgess was awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart. In addition, he as one of only eighteen soldiers from the 88th Infantry who received a special commendation award from His Royal Highness, the Prince of Italy. For most of his adult life he worked for C.O. Beck and Sons in Waterville as a roofer and sheet metal worker. Even after retirement he continued to work for C.O. Beck on a part-time basis. His last day of work was November 5. He and his wife Beatrice Gerow Burgess were married in Muskogee, Oklahoma on April 10, 1943. They spent most of their married years in Waterville and Winslow. Besides his wife, Mr. Burgess is survived by his three children - Diane Breton and her husband Leonel of Winslow, Paul Burgess and his wife Patricia of Orlando, Florida, and Jeffrey and his wife Sonya of Steep Falls. There are seven grandchildren - Peter Breton and wife Jenny, Mark Breton, Scott Breton deceased and wife Laurie, Jenny Laudone and her husband Patrick, Craig Burgess and his wife Angela, Todd Burgess, and Tracy Burgess Velazquez and her husband Javier. There are also six great grand children - Grace and Nicole Breton, Justin and Jacob Breton, and Joshua and Joseph Laudone. Mr. Burgess is pre-deceased by eleven brothers and sisters - Pauline Ponsant, Orena Burgess, Earlene Laney, Bernice Vigue, Ida May Cayouette, Linwood Burgess, Donald Burgess, Deloris Grenier, Irene Burgess, Pearl Cormier, and Bernard Burgess. Throughout his life Mr. Burgess was known by all as a kind, giving, generous, and selfless man. He possessed a great love for home and family, and always went out of his way to help others with ''fix-it'' projects. Visiting hours will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thurs., Nov. 15, 2007 at Gallant Funeral Home, 10 Elm St., Waterville. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 9 a.m. Fri., Nov. 16, 2007 at Sacred Heart Church, 70 Pleasant St., Waterville. Burial will be at the new Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Mt. Vernon Rd., Augusta. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Catholic Charities Maine, PO Box 10660, Portland, ME 04104