Willard was born and raised in Emery Mills, Maine. He attended schools in Shapleigh and Sanford, graduating from Sanford High School.
He served in the U.S. Army Air Forces for two years before attending Parks College in St. Louis, Missouri, where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Chi fraternity and earned his Avionics Engineering Technology degree.
He and Beverly married soon after, and he began his career with Union Carbide Corporation. Willard worked as a salesman for Union Carbide until he was promoted to west coast manager of the company’s battery division, later transferring to New Jersey as the east coast battery division manager.
Willard was an avid baseball fan, even playing on the Parks team in college. He also had a passion for sports cars, airplanes and sailing.
Willard and Beverly retired to Maine, where they became involved in the First Baptist Church of Shapleigh. Willard was a dedicated Master Mason and Past Master of the Springvale Lodge #190 AF&AM, as well as a very active member of the York County Shrine Club.
Willard is survived by: his sister Gloria Holda, his children Sharon (Ken) Dorr, Martha Toschi, and Raymond (Joni) Wright, six grandchildren and spouses, and five great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 24, at 9:30 a.m. at the Masonic Lodge, 471 Main St., Springvale, Maine.
In lieu of flowers, a contribution to the Alzheimer’s Association or charity of your choice would be greatly appreciated.
Arrangements are under the direction of Black Funeral Homes and Cremation Service, Sanford-Springvale.
To leave a message of condolence for the family please visit blackfuneralhomes.com.
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less