Gerald Edwin Wiles (1935-2010)

FARMINGTON – Gerald Edwin Wiles, 74, of Wilton and Rangeley, died Tuesday morning, Oct. 5, 2010, shortly after arrival at Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington. He was a man of courage, having undergone extensive surgery recently at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, in an attempt to extend the quality of his life.

Better known as Gerry, he was born Oct. 15, 1935, in Guilford, a son of Carroll and Winifred (Blakeney) Wiles. His mother died when he was just two weeks old from complications of childbirth and his father and paternal grandmother, Gertrude Dunham Wiles died together in a winter accident on Sebec Lake, leaving he and his elder brother John Eldon Wiles orphaned.

They were blessed to be raised by their loving maternal grandparents, Conway and Luella May (Steeves) Blakeney in Dover-Foxcroft. He was a 1954 graduate of Foxcroft Academy and in his youth enjoyed playing basketball for the Foxcroft Academy Ponies.

At an early age, his love of the great outdoors was fostered by his uncle Charlie Steeves, as well as a host of Canadian relatives, where he spent many happy summers; the two would hunt, fish, and tend to the beehives. His best friend, Wayne Eldridge, was like a brother, and they shared a love of one of God’s greatest gifts, the great outdoors.

At the age of 14, he began working at the Lary Funeral Home in Dover-Foxcroft, washing vehicles, mowing lawns and serving as an extra driver for the combination funeral home/ambulance service. He always felt compelled to help those in emotional need or physical pain, and carried that inner drive to his next life adventure, the Armed Services.

He proudly served this country as a member of the U.S. Army where he was stationed in Germany as a medic. Upon discharge, he used the GI Bill to continue his education at the New England Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences, Boston, MASS., from which he graduated in 1959.

On April 26, 1958, he married Roma Lou Kent of Ft. Fairfield, Maine. Together, they tried to comfort others through his work as a funeral director and hers as a registered nurse. He served his apprenticeship at the Lary Funeral Home, Dover-Foxcroft; the Graves Funeral Home in Presque Isle and the Lord Funeral Home in Norridgewock. In 1962, he and his young family moved to Wilton where he was employed for Robert Edwards at the Edwards Funeral Home. In 1971, they purchased the funeral home from Robert and Jane Edwards and with his entrepreneurial drive, purchased the former Rural Health Associates Building on Rte. 133 in Jay in 1981. In 1985, the family purchased the Keegan Funeral Home, formerly known as the Hawthorne Funeral Home on Rtes. 2 & 27 in Farmington and in 1994 transitioned the Keegan Funeral Home business in Dixfield.

In the mid 1960s, he started a monument and marker sales and cleaning service and happily, for well over 30 years, attended Farmington Fair where he “manned the booth” in the Starbird Building.

With a keen dedication to quality health care and community betterment, he spent countless hours collaborating with many for the relocation of the Franklin Memorial Hospital, serving Franklin, northern Androscoggin and parts of Oxford counties. He was chairman of the Building Committee during the original building phase and shared that honor with his wife, Roma, who at the same time, served as president of the FMH Hospital Auxiliary.

He was a member of the Williamson Lodge IOOF, the Wilton Masonic Lodge #156, the Kora Temple Shrine and the Western Mountain Shrine Club. He was a past president of the Jay/Livermore Falls Rotary Club, and was a member of the Wilton Chamber of Commerce and the Wilton Lions Club.

He enjoyed trips with family and friends to Hawaii, Branson, Missouri; Florida, Canada and Anticosti. He enjoyed many adventures at the family hunting camp in Atkinson, close to his childhood stomping grounds, where he enjoyed both hunting and snowmobiling. There were many memorable birdhunting trips to Macannamac Camps at Haymock Lake and a very unique 2002 Moose Hunt that found his wife spending quality summer weekends studying for her hunter safety permit. He loved playing cards, hunting with the boys, fishing, tending to his outdoor yard work and gardens, collecting antiques, working on jigsaw puzzles, feeding the birds in his orchard, teaching his grandchildren how to play cribbage and following the many and varied activities of his family members. He was excited and honored to watch the growth and development of his grandchildren.

His children are privileged to call him father, colleague, mentor and friend. A man of integrity and grace, he was blessed with many wonderful friendships.

Gerry is loved by his wife of 52 years, Roma K. Wiles of Wilton and Rangeley; their daughter: Rhonda Ann Wiles-Rosell and her husband, Kurt of Farmington; their son: Kent Conway Wiles and his wife Susan “Suzie” Boyce Wiles of Wilton and Rangeley; three grandchildren: Adam Emery Wiles-Rosell; Kristyn Audrey Wiles and Ashley Sarah-Lynn Wiles; two step grandsons: Thomas Haines and Mitchell Haines; his brother, John Eldon Wiles and his wife, Patricia Dewey Wiles of Simsbury, Connecticut; brother-in-law, Thomas F. Kent and his wife Joan Daigle Kent of Madawaska; sister-in-law, Betty Ann Kent-Conant and her husband Thomas Conant of Ft. Fairfield; cousins Richard Meisner & his wife Roxanne of Kissimmee, Florida and Beverly Wolfe of Dover-Foxcroft; nephews: Mark E. Wiles and his wife, Julie of Canton, CT.; T. Scott Kent and his wife, Shelley of Ft. Kent and Portland; and niece Gail Wiles Trafton and her husband, Scott Trafton of Cumberland; a grandniece and several grandnephews.

He was predeceased by his parents, his in-laws, Thomas Emery and Hazel (Durepo) Kent, a nephew Bruce Dewey Wiles, twin aunts Mary Anna Blakeney and Anna Mary Meisner and her husband Burton Meisner, as well as some very dear friends with whom he is reunited.

Family and friends are invited to call at the Wiles Remembrance Center, 137 Farmington Falls Rd., (Rtes. 2 & 27) Farmington, Friday from 3-7 p.m. where public Masonic services, conducted by the Wilton Masonic Lodge AF & AM #156 will be held at 7 p.m. Funeral services will be held Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. from the Center with Rev. Gary Akeley officiating. Private family committal services with full military honors provided by Camp Keyes will be held at the Evergreen Cemetery, Rangeley.

Those who desire may give remembrance gifts to either Operation Santa (OPS) c/o Western Maine Community Action (WMCA) PO Box 200 East Wilton, Maine 04234 or to the Chamber of Commerce Holiday Food Basket Program 248 Wilton Rd. Farmington, Maine 04938. It would be Gerry’s personal request that wherever you are, whenever you can, do so much for a child as is possible by sharing your time, talents and values. Tributes and condolences may be shared with his family and friends at www.wilesrc.com.