Richard Dick Godfrey Quirion

1932 - 2016

Waterville - Richard Godfrey Quirion, 83, of Oakland passed away peacefully on Friday, 1 January 2016 at Mount St. Joseph Nursing Home in Waterville. He was born on April 12, 1932 in Waterville, Maine, the son of Aimee and Annunciade (later Mercier) Quirion. He was educated and lived in the Augusta and Waterville areas for much of his life. He enlisted in the US Navy during the Korean War, where he saw active duty. Post-war, he worked nearly his entire career for the US Postal Service (USPS) starting as a clerk in Waterville and finishing his career as Postmaster in Coopers Mills, from where he retired in 1987. He was President of the National League of Postmasters in the later years while working for the USPS.

Shortly after retiring from the Postal Service, he and his wife Gertrude moved to Pinellas Park, Florida where they lived nearly 20 years, until Gertrude passed away in March 2008. Richard held the elected post of Vice President of the private community where he lived in Pinellas Park, working on community improvement and outreach programs for elderly and chronically ill residents. He returned to Maine in the summer of 2008 (shortly after Gertrude passed away) to be closer to his remaining family.

Richard was a highly active member of the community in every place that he lived, working in both public and private community groups and in his church. He was on the Parish Council at St John the Baptist, Winslow. More recently he was a communicant of Notre Dame Catholic Church. He was also a member of the Elks Club. By far his most passionate pursuit was Barbershop singing. He was a very active member of the Waterville chapter of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, Inc. (SPEBSQSA). He sang in various quartets throughout his life as well as the Waterville chorus. Singing was a pastime that gave him endless pleasure, one that he shared with all who cared to listen.

Richard is survived by his 2 sisters - Jean Christie of Oakland (with whom Richard lived until shortly before his death) and Joan Griggs and her husband Charlie of Hartford Connecticut - and his step-sister Shirley Mcquillan and her husband John of Winslow. Richard is also survived by his 4 children: Cheryl Quirion and her partner Walter Jaurena of Buenos Aires, Argentina; Keith Quirion and his wife Sara of Belgrade Lakes; Anne Quirion and her partner Roland Follensbee of Enfield, New Hampshire; and his chosen daughter Shirley Gorman and her husband Ray of Saint John, New Brunswick (Canada). His son Paul died in a tragic car accident in August 2008.

Richard was the proud and loving grandfather to Keith and Sara's children: Valerie, Kimberleigh, Sean and Sydney; Shirley and Ray's children: Sean and his wife Lois, Meghan and her husband Tom, and Kathryn and her husband José. He was the beloved great-grandfather to Sarah, Jenna, Olivia, Christopher, Ileana, and Mateo.

We will miss his smile, his jokes, his quick wit, his distinctive laugh and his beautiful singing voice. May you rest in peace.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, January 9, 2016, at 9:00 AM at Notre Dame Catholic Church, 112 Silver Street in Waterville. A reception place will be announced at church. His burial will be in the spring at the Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Augusta. Please visit www.veilleuxfuneralhome.com to view a video collage of Richard’s life and to share condolences, memories and tributes with his family.