Lewis Delaware Obituary (1928 - 2012)

FARMINGDALE - Lewis B. Delaware, 83, died Friday, Jan. 6, at the Maine Veterans Home in Augusta, after a long and productive life.He was born in Gardiner on March 2, 1928, the son of Benjamin J. Delaware and Mildred A. (Penny) Delaware. He graduated from Gardiner High School in 1945 and attended University of Maine - Orono and later attended Northeastern University.Mr. Delaware was a member of the St. Joseph Catholic Church in Gardiner. He was an active member of the Knights of Columbus in Gardiner, having reached the level of 4th degree knight. He was also an officer in the local AARP.Mr. Delaware enlisted in the Navy in 1945 during WWII. He attended boot camp in Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois in 1945 and later was assigned to the Fargo Building in Boston as Ship Company for Veterans. He was later transferred to San Pedro, CA, where he completed 15 months of service. He re-enlisted in the Navy during the Korean War and served on the USS Worcester. His ship left Norfolk, VA for the Mediterranean and conducted maneuvers there. He manned six gun computers in the battle station seven decks below. He achieved the rank of Seaman first class.After the Navy, he was employed as a civil engineer for the state of Maine and later employed by IBM in 1957 in their Lincoln Lab facility located in Waltham, Mass. He and his family later moved in 1964 to Poughkeepsie, New York where he continued his employment with IBM as a hardware engineer. He retired from IBM in 1990. He and his wife moved back to Maine in 1994.Mr. Delaware's hobbies included cross-word puzzles and playing bridge weekly with friends at the Cohen Center in Hallowell. He taught his children to play chess and he loved to garden. He loved photography and took many pictures of his family and scenery. His favorite vacation spot was Pemaquid Point in New Harbor, Maine, spending two weeks each August with family.Mr. Delaware was the youngest of four children and was predeceased by his parents; brother, Benjamin of Alexandria, VA; his sister Clare Ware of Winthrop; and his sister Mildred Ouellette of Hallowell.He is survived by his wife, Bernadette, of Farmingdale, having been married to her for 64 years. He is also survived by his six children: Rosemary and her husband, Michael Stauff of Boston, MA; Dana and his wife, Sarah, of Kirksville, MO; Beth and her husband, Michael Boyle, of Canaan, NH; Micki and her husband, Jonathan Gordon of Redwood City, CA; Lee and her husband, Richard Hornor of Framingham, MA and Lewis Shawn and his wife, Sheri, of San Diego, CA; 11 grand-children and two great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews.In lieu of flowers, donations in Lewis's name may be made to the Gardiner Public Library, 152 Water Street, Gardiner, ME, 04344.Visiting hours will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 10, at Staples Funeral Home, 53 Brunswick Ave., Gardiner. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Joseph's Church in Gardner on Wednesday, Jan. 11, at 10 a.m. followed by a reception at the Knights of Columbus Hall Spring Street GardinerA graveside service will be held in the spring