Belanger, Aurelle J., 90, October 18, 2014. Interment held in the New Maine Veterans’ Cemetery, Augusta. Arrangements by Jones, Rich & Hutchins Funeral Home, Portland.
SCARBOROUGH – Aurelle J. Belanger, 90, of Caribou, passed away on Saturday, October 18, 2014, at high noon at the Maine Veterans’ Home in Scarborough after a battle with shingles and dementia. The son of Francoise and Josephine (Sanfason) Belanger, he grew up in a family of 18 in North Caribou and attended Caribou schools.
He joined the U.S. Army 47th Engineer Construction Battalion Division. He was a decorated veteran with the Army of Occupation Medal, the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, and the WWII Victory Medal. After the war, he returned to Caribou and worked on his family’s potato farm. During this time, he met Cecile Langlain and they were married on November 21, 1949. He went on to become a licensed electrician and worked for many years in Caribou, and then in Augusta until he retired after 28 years. While in North Caribou, he purchased a 10 acre potato farm, farming it until 1964. He had one daughter, Arlene Belanger Vaillancourt.
Aurelle was an avid snowmobiler and traveled many miles during snowmobile season. He loved being on his sled snowmobiling with his family and friends. He was a member of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in North Caribou, a member of St. Maximilian Kolbe in Scarborough, and a fourth degree Knight of Columbus, like many of the generations before him. He was a life member of the VFW Post 887 in Augusta. He loved his grandsons, and loved spending time with his oldest grandson, Mark A. Belanger, who was the apple of his eye. He taught Mark many things, like riding a three-wheeler, and snowmobiles. Aurelle also attended many of Mark’s sports events. He was pleased to watch his grandson, Peter A. Vaillancourt, compete in a VICA competition for residential electricity, where he won the silver medal for the State of Maine. He was very proud to know that Peter followed in his footsteps. Family was everything to him.
He was predeceased by his first wife, Cecile; his son-in-law, Ken Vaillancourt; his brothers, Fred, Lewis, Patrick, Edward, and William, and his sisters, Irene, Cecile, Louise, and Joan; and his stepson, Michael Willet.
He is survived by his wife, Marie Ayotte Willett Belanger, of 49 years, whom he married on August 28, 1965; his daughter, Arlene Vaillancourt and her significant other, Richard Durcharme of Scarborough; his grandsons, Mark A. Belanger and his wife, Deanna Young, and great-grandson, Barrett, of Phoenix AZ, and Peter Vaillancourt and his wife, Kathlean, of Biddeford, his two great-grandsons, James and Thomas; his brothers, Joel, Nelson and his wife, Roseline, Walter, Wilson and his wife, Louise, Richard, and Bernard; and his sister Doris Plourde; his brother-in-law, Lucien Langlais; his sisters-in-law, Wilma Belanger, and Mona Belanger; his two step-daughters, Kathlyn Anderson of South Portland and Donna Kendall and her husband, John of Old Orchard Beach; five step-grandchildren; eight step-great-grandchildren; and two step-great-great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews and great-great and great-great-great nieces and nephews whom he loved, especially his nephew Clarence Belanger.
A memorial service was held on Sunday, October 26, 2014, at 2 p.m. at Jones, Rich & Hutchins Funeral Home, 199 Woodford St., Portland, with Father Reggie Brissette officiating. A reception followed the service at the funeral home. A chapel committal service with military honors was held on Monday, October 27, 2014, at 12 p.m. at The New Maine Veterans’ Cemetery, Mount Vernon Rd. Augusta.
Donations can be made in Aurelle’s memory to the Maine Veterans’ Home, 290 US Rte 1, Scarborough ME 04074. For additional information and to sign Aurelle’s online guestbook please visit www.jonesrichand hutchins.com.
