Bertrand Albert Dumais Obituary (1928

Bertrand Albert Dumais passed away peacefully at his winter residence in Scarborough, Maine surrounded by his immediate family. Bert succumbed to an acute form of leukemia against which he battled to give us 28 bonus and blessed months of his precious life. Bert was born in Livermore Falls, Maine on October 15, 1928. He attended schools in Livermore Falls and later went to what was then known as Farmington State Teachers College, in Farmington, Maine. During his college career he moved to California with his family, where he attended Long Beach State from 1947-1948. He later returned to Maine and graduated from Farmington with a degree in Education in 1949. He enlisted in the 101st Airborne Division as an infantryman in 1949. He was deployed to Korea during the Korean Conflict from 1949-1951. Bert married the love of his life, Earlene Ann Adams, in March of 1952. They recently celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary with their family at the home of their daughter Julie. In 1953, Bert and Earlene settled in Skowhegan, Maine where Bert began a life-long career in education and community service. Bert’s first teaching position was as a math and science teacher at the Skowhegan Junior High. During his time as a teacher in the 50‘s Bert served an assistant varsity football and assistant varsity basketball coach at Skowhegan High School. In 1961 Bert took a position at Skowhegan High School as a math teacher. In 1966 he was named the school’s Assistant Principal, a position he held for 22 years until he retired in 1988. 1953 was a momentous year for Bert as it also marked the beginning of a dedicated 36 year career as an official at the Skowhegan State Fair. Bert served as the organization’s Superintendent of Tickets until he served as the Fair’s General Manager from 1981until he resigned in 1989. Bert had many other vocations and passions during his very active life: he was an accomplished butcher, a trade he learned as a youngster working at his dad’s grocery store during WWII; He was a member of the Maine Principals Association, he was a high school football official and served as an officer of the Central Maine Football Officials Association. Retirement from his education career didn’t slow Bert down. During the summers, he was a clubhouse manager for 20 years at his beloved Lakewood Golf Course. He also played weekly golf tournaments with Central Maine Seniors week with his foursome. During the winters, Bert and Earlene lived in Jekyll Island, Georgia, where they golfed, biked, explored the beach, entertained family and volunteered at the local hospital. He is predeceased by his son Peter Earl, his parents, Laura and Joseph Ernest Dumais, his sisters Annette Hoag, Claire Russell and and his brother Bernard Dumais. He is survived by his wife, Earlene, his children Jeffrey Lynn Dumais and wife Julie Harrison, Brian Peter Dumais, Julie Ann Dumais-Dore and husband, Larry, Laurie Ellen and husband Larry Palow of Windham, Maine, his sisters Ernestine Ohler, of Augusta, Eloise Gravel of Livermore Falls, Camille “Mimi” Brown and her husband Jim of, Albuquerque, New Mexico, his sister-in law, Mary Ellen Coughlan of Foxboro, MA, his nine grandchildren; Jacqueline Dore of NYC, Peter Dore of Scarborough, Maine, Michael Palow of Portland, Maine, Danielle and Elliot Dumais, Scarborough, Maine, Eliza and Derek Palow of Windham, Madeleine Dumais, Seattle, Washington and Julia Lauren, of Littleton, Colorado and more than a dozen nieces and nephews. A celebration of Bert’s life will be held at Smart & Edwards Funeral home 183 Madison Ave., Skowhegan, Me. on Tuesday, March 26 from 6-8 pm. A mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 1pm Wednesday, March 27, at Notre Dame de Lourdes Catholic Church on Water Street in Skowhegan. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you make a donation in Bert’s name to Hospice of Southern Maine, 180 US Route One, Suite One, Scarborough, Maine 04074. The family would like to thank The Maine Cancer Center Nurses, and Dr. Helen Ryan as well as Hospice of Southern Maine for their kindness and caring during Bert’s illness.