Arthur J. Babineau

PORTLAND – Arthur J. Babineau, 102, passed peacefully with family beside him on Aug. 19, 2024 at Gosnell Hospice House in Scarborough after a period of declining health.

He was born Nov. 23, 1921 in St. Leonard, New Brunswick Canada to parents Emma (Gaudreau) and Aime Babineau. At the age of 4, he emigrated to Maine with his family to Howland. While attending school he had a paper route, served as an altar boy and cared for 9,000 chickens at Twombly’s poultry farm next door.

After graduating high school, he was hired by Todd Bath Shipyard in South Portland and trained as a weld inspector for the liberty ships. It was there he met his future wife, Alphena Violette, a “Rosie”. They dated two years and after several deferments to work in the shipyard, he enlisted with the Army. Basic training was completed at Fort Devens, Mass. and received further training at Fort Polk, La. They married before he shipped out to Europe with the 119th Evacuation Hospital. His service took him through Wales, England, France, Belgium, and Germany. His unit was always within one half to one mile of the frontlines including meeting the Russians at the Elbe River at the end of war. He returned to the United States aboard the Queen Mary. He had a short leave before the next deployment to the Pacific Theater. Fortunately, Japan surrendered and the war ended and he finished out his enlistment at Fort Devens, Mass.

After the war, he lived in Old Orchard Beach and was hired by Armour Meat Packing Company in Biddeford, filling in for office staff on vacation. He attended the University of Maine at Portland-Gorham for accounting/business. The company provided him many opportunities for advancement in Rumford, Lewiston, Portland and Bangor. He retired as Controller after 38 years.

He loved the outdoors and raised his family camping, brook fishing and hiking in the western mountains of Maine. Starting out with pup tents, blankets, larger tents, warm sleeping bags, pop up and camper trailers, the equipment evolved, and our appreciation for nature, streams, ponds and brook trout grew. He imparted his love and techniques for nature to his children and grandchildren including carving whistles out of poplar. He enjoyed gardening and outwitting the groundhog from accessing it. Mother’s Day weekends our family and extended family would go fiddlehead picking in addition to many picnics on Sunday drives. He was strong in faith and enjoyed attending mass weekly until his health prevented him from doing so.

He was an active member of the American Legion Post 98 in Brewer and walked in the Memorial and Veteran’s Day parades held in Brewer-Bangor. In the fall of 2014, he went on his Honor Flight Maine trip to Washington, D.C. with his daughter, Donna, and was moved by the reception given to the WWII veterans there and at home.

He is survived by daughter, Rachel Kokoros of Brewer, son, Art of Madison, N.H., and daughter, Donna Somma (Rudy) of Portland; six grandchildren, Joshua Kokoros, Jeremy Somma (Emily), Jill Prescott, Sarah Kokoros-Morin (Dustin), Jennah Costa (Tim) and Jen Somma; and eight great-grandchildren; sister-in-law, Nancy Violette; and many nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by wife of 79 years, Alphena in 2023; four sisters, Simone Colletti, Estelle Pelletier, Edna Spencer and Theresa Patterson, four brothers, Francis, Antoine, Rudolph and John.

Visiting hours Tuesday Sept. 3 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at A.T. Hutchins Funeral Home, 660 Brighton Ave., Portland followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 1 p.m. at St. Pius Church, 492 Ocean Ave. in Portland. Burial with Military Honors will be held Wednesday, Sept. 4 at 1 p.m. at the Maine Veterans Cemetery on Mt. Vernon Road, Augusta.

To share memories of Arthur or leave the family an online condolence, please visit http://www.athutchins.com

In lieu of flowers, consider a donation to charity of your choice in his memory.