Lester Kincaid Albee Jr.

VASSALBORO -- Lester Kincaid Albee Jr., age 86, died peacefully at the Maine Veterans Home in Augusta on Sunday, April 17, 2011, after a long illness. He was born in Windsor, on April 11, 1925, a son of the late Lester K. Albee, Sr. and Carrie (Martin) Albee Pierce.

He attended Cony High School and graduated in 1942. He joined the Marine Corps in 1942, serving as a "telephone man" with the 4th Division. He saw combat in the Marshall Islands, Roi Namur, Tinian, Saipan and Iwo Jima. He was discharged from Quantico, Va., in 1946, with the rank of sergeant.

On Dec. 1, 1945, he married Phyllis Cole of Vassalboro, and they raised four children. He worked 36 years for the former New England Telephone and Telegraph Co., starting as a lineman, training as a teletype specialist, and doing much of the telecommunications work at the State House and state office buildings in Augusta. He served as vice-president of Local 8, International Brotherhood of Telephone Workers.

He later became an NET&T real estate manager for the central Maine region, traveling from Augusta and Waterville to Greenville, Belfast and everywhere in between, supervising the construction of new offices in the state. He joined the Neguemkeag (166/54) Masonic Lodge in Vassalboro in September 1951, and received his 60-year service medal in March 2011. He was also an active Shriner for many years. He was a dedicated member of his community, serving on the Pine Tree Boy Scout Leadership Council and as a troop leader for more than 20 years. He was a School Committee member for 15 years and served on the Vassalboro Cemetery and Library committees.

He and Phyllis loved horses and harness racing, and they traveled to Bangor, Scarborough, New Hampshire, and to local fairs, watching the horses they bought and trained for the next 25 years. While his father-in-law, Merle Cole, was alive, Lester and his sons spent many happy hours hunting and fishing at Cole's camp in Lang Township.

He is survived by his wife, Phyllis; sons Laurence, Eric and Kenneth Albee; daughter Valerie Tucker; nephew Richard Leighton; half-brother Rodney Pierce; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

The family would like to extend its gratitude to the Company B staff of the Maine Veterans Home for their compassion and professionalism.

There will be no public visiting hours. Friends and family are invited to attend a memorial service on Friday, April 22, at 2 p.m. at Plummer Funeral Home, 16 Pleasant St., Augusta. Burial will be held at the convenience of the family.

Memorial donations may be sent to either Waterville Area Humane Society, 100 Webb Road, Waterville, ME, 04901-4203; or to the charity of one's choice.

Condolences may be expressed at the funeral home website www.plummerfh.com.