Pauline T. Gendron

Pauline T. Gendron, 81, of Biddeford died Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010, at Southern Maine Medical Center.

She was born in Biddeford on Dec. 1, 1928, to Charles A. and Annabelle Collette Gendron and was educated at St. Andre School.

Ms. Gendron worked for more than 40 years at Youland’s Department Store and the Children’s Shop in Biddeford and the Men’s Shop in Saco. She also cared for her parents until their passing.

She enjoyed reading, dancing, traveling and dining with friends. She was a member of the Daughters of Isabella and St. Joseph Church of the Good Shepherd Parish.

She was preceded in death by her brother, Charles A. Gendron, in 1984.

Survivors include two brothers, Raymond Gendron and his wife, Adrienne, of Biddeford, and Normand Gendron and his wife, Shirley, of Sanford; her sister, Lorraine Frost and her husband, Robert, of Biddeford.

Arrangements were by Hope Memorial Chapel, Biddeford

Claude E. Belanger

Claude E. Belanger, 70, of Augusta, died Monday Feb. 22, 2010, at his home.

He was born June 4, 1939, in Biddeford to Emile J. and Elizabeth M.A. Gosselin Belanger.

He was educated in Biddeford schools and graduated from the former St. Louis High School in 1956 and the former St. Francis College in Biddeford in 1960.

On Nov. 24, 1962, he married Wilma M. Mottram in St. Bernard Church in Rockland. She died Sept. 7, 2000.

Mr. Belanger was a high school teacher in the Gardiner school system for many years and retired in 1991. He was a member of St. Mary Church in Augusta.

Survivors include his son, Joseph Belanger and his wife, Laura, of Etters, Pa.; his daughter, Kristina Belanger of California; two brothers, Donald Belanger of Aurora, Colo., and Paul Belanger and his wife, Paulette, of Old Orchard Beach; three sisters, Lorraine Perreault and her husband, William, of Lowell, Mass., Jeannine Hale and Doris Belanger of Aurora, Colo.; two grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

Arrangements were by Hope Memorial Chapel, Biddeford.

Solime J. Corbeil

Solime J. Corbeil, 59, of Saco died unexpectedly Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010, at his home.

 He was born Oct. 13, 1950, in Biddeford to Solime and Florence Annie Precourt Corbeil and educated in Saco schools.

Mr. Corbeil worked many years in area auto body shops.

He was preceded in death by a sister, Marie Daughter, in 2008.

Survivors include his son, Rodney Corbeil of Sabattus; his daughter, Chrystal Muse and her husband, Tyrone, of New York; three brothers, Paul Corbeil and his wife, Doris, of Saco, Ovide Corbeil and his wife, Nancy, of Bridgton, and Lucien Corbeil of Saco; three sisters, Florence Picard of Dayton, Sylvia Bourget of Saco and Rita Lehoux of Biddeford; four grandchildren, one great-grandchild, several nieces and nephews.

Arrangements were by Hope Memorial Chapel, Biddeford.

Theresa R. Willette

Theresa R. Willette, 65, of Biddeford, died Monday, Feb. 22, 2010, at her home after an 11-year battle with cancer.

 She was born Oct. 7, 1944, in Saco to Robert E. and Gloria Chantigny Bedard and was educated in Biddeford schools.

Mrs. Willette worked for more than 25 years in area fraternal organization clubs.

She was a life member of the Rochambeau and Le Voltigeur Snowshoe clubs and a life member of Biddeford Eagles, all of Biddeford.

She enjoyed playing bingo, doing crossword puzzles and having coffee with her friends.

She was preceded in death by her sister, Garnet Lupien, in 1997.

Survivors include her fiancé, Richard C. Perreault of Biddeford; three sons, Paul M. Willette and his fiancée, Kelly Beck, of  Westbrook, Ronnie Perreault of Biddeford and Ryan Perreault and his wife, Lisa, of  Newfield; two daughters, Kathy G. Willette  and her fiancé, Michel Auclair, of Biddeford, and Robin Pierce and her husband, Joseph, of Waterboro; four  brothers, Rene Bedard and his wife, Norma, of Old Orchard Beach, Leo Bedard of Biddeford, Raymond “Cocoa” Bedard  and his wife, Susan, of Biddeford, and Arthur “Bosco” Bedard and his wife, Diane, of Biddeford; two sisters, Shirley Belanger and her husband, Jr., of Biddeford, and Dianne Chase-Shubat and her husband, Steve, of Newington, Conn.; 11 grandchildren, one great-grandchild and many nieces and nephews.

Arrangements were by Hope Memorial Chapel, Biddeford.

Allen ‘Lefty’ Sukalas

Allen “Lefty” Sukalas, 89, of Biddeford, died Monday, Feb. 22, 2010, at the Maine Veterans Home in Scarborough.

 He was born Aug. 29, 1920, in Lowell Mass., to Emmanuel and Areti (Nakis) Tsukalis and was educated there.  He attended the Lowell Technical Institute for two years.

Mr. Sukalas worked at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and served in the U.S. Army during World War II. 

He married Anastasia Liegakos in Lowell, Mass., in September 1942.

In 1946, he bought Main Castle from his uncle, George Sukalas, and with his wife operated it first at Main and Foss streets in Biddeford and later at Pepperell Square in Saco for more than 50 years.  He owned Castle Realty.

Mr. Sukalas served the community as bail commissioner, mediator for the York County District Court, and as a justice of the peace. He also served as president of St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church and the Order of AHEPA as district commissioner.  He also was a member of the Masonic Lodge, the Lions, Elks, Amvets and American Legion.

Survivors include his son, Mitchell Sukalas and his wife, Jackie, of Wells; his daughter, Holly McIntyre and her husband, William, of Lyman; his sister, Anna Callianos of Lowell, Mass., six grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Arrangements were by Hope Memorial Chapel, Biddeford.

Richard L. Dearborn

Richard Langdon Dearborn, a longtime resident of Beech Hill Road, West Granville, died Feb. 25, 2010, in Biddeford at the age of 90.

Born April 20 1919, in Waverly, Pa., Mr. Dearborn was the son of Sydney A. and Lillian Church Dearborn.

He attended Pennsylvania State University, where he played on the national champion collegiate soccer team before serving in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.  He was a technical sergeant and P-38 ground crew chief in the China-Burma-India Theatre.

After the war, Mr. Dearborn was a professional singer and recording artist in New York City and from 1948 to 1956 and appeared regularly on the Arthur Godfrey TV show.  He graduated from Syracuse University and worked as a mechanical engineer at Hamilton Standard and technical writer and editor for Pratt & Whitney.  He was also a teacher in the Southwick and Belchertown school systems.

Mr. Dearborn lived in West Granville from 1963 until 2006, when he moved to southern Maine.  He served on the Granville Zoning Board and was town bookkeeper for many years. He was also longtime member of the Granville Federated Church choir.

An avid golfer, Mr. Dearborn excelled in all sports and enjoyed music, friends, books, the outdoors and visiting his children and grandchildren.

He leaves four children, Leanne L. Cronin of Biddeford; David S. Dearborn of Glastonbury, Conn.; Daniel C. Dearborn of Milbank, S.D.; and Gary R. Dearborn of Croton Falls, N.Y.; four grandchildren, Carly and Danielle Dearborn of South Dakota; and Victoria and Aidan Dearborn of New York; daughters-in-law Sharon Dearborn and Christina Horzepa; nephews Brian Kent of Colorado, Syd Dearborn of Arizona and Greg Dearborn of Indiana; and nieces Anne Dearborn of Arizona and Judy Widbin of Indiana.

The family would like to thank the special caregivers at Shaw House, Biddeford, and Mr. Dearborn’s caring neighbors on Beech Hill Road.

Mr. Dearborn will be remembered for his friendly manner, gentle sense of humor, unfailing kindness, wartime service to his country, beautiful singing voice, varied career accomplishments and, most of all, for his deep love for his children and grandchildren.

 As in a famous song he recorded, there were always “Blue Skies” when he was there.

Calling hours were Tuesday, March 2, at Forastiere Funeral Home in Southwick, Mass.
In lieu of flowers, the family would be grateful to accept donations in Mr. Dearborn’s name to American Macular Degeneration Foundation, P.O. Box 515, Northampton, MA 01061-0515, phone 1-413-268-7660 or toll free 1-888-MACULAR (1-888-622-8527). The Web address is www.macular.org and e-mail is amdf@macular.org.