BASIL OSOLINSKI Jr.

CLINTON -- Basil Osolinski Jr., 59, a dedicated member of our community, passed away at his home on Monday, April 8, 2013.

Mr. Osolinski died after a lengthy and courageous struggle with nonsmall cell lung cancer. At the time of Basil's death, he was at his home in Clinton with his wife, Anne, stepson Alston, along with his hospice nurse, Terry, from Visiting Nurses of Bangor and Hospice.

Basil was born in Portsmouth, N.H., in 1953, and was the oldest son of Marcel and Claire LeRoux. Basil lived most of his life in Manchester, N.H., where he was raised, attended Saint Marie's High School and then enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1972.

Professionally, Mr. Osolinski worked at Manchester Wholesale, where he received his CDL license in 1989 before coming to the state of Maine. He was then hired by Hartt Transportation as a company long-haul driver, where you would see him traveling on Interstate 90, 70 or 95, with his teddy bear co-pilot in the passenger seat.

Basil's main interests were watching the sunrise in the mornings, taking pictures of the sunrises or going camping so that he could sit by the fire and talk with his wife and friends.

Basil especially loved spending time with his family. His definition of family was expansive, and he adopted a new found brother, sons and daughter. Recent surprises have been numerous family gatherings where he was able to visit with his mother and father; going to see his sister, Pat, at her and husband Herb Houston's house, spending Christmas holiday with his children, watching fireworks, along with having a wonderful surprise of seeing his Aunt Sandra.

Basil will always be loved and remembered by Anne, his wife of 10 years. In addition, he is survived by his parents, Marcel and Claire LeRoux; his two daughters, Christie (Osolinski) McQuestin and her husband, Matthew, of Litchfield, N.H., and Sonya (Osolinski) Clark and her husband, Keith, of Pittsfield, N.H.; his son, Basil Joseph Osolinski, of Minnesota; his three stepsons, Mike Jones, of Manchester, N.H., Scott Osolinski and his wife, Lisa, of Michigan, and Alston W. Muir III, of Clinton; his sister, Patricia Houston and her husband, Herb, of Manchester, N.H.; his many grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and his many family members throughout the United States, all who loved and respected Basil.

Basil's family would like to say a special thank-you to the doctors, staff and administration of Cancer Care of Maine and Eastern Maine Medical Center, MaineGeneral Medical Center, Thayer Unit (CCU), as well as the dedicated professionals at Visiting Nurses of Bangor and Hospice.

We would like to offer a special thanks to Dr. Nina Fagels and Dr. Karen Giadano for their many years of care and friendship during these difficult and strangely beautiful times.

Visiting hours will be from 3 to 5 p.m. Friday, April 12, at Knowlton and Hewins Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 1 Church St., Augusta. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 13, at Notre Dame Church, 116 Silver St., Waterville. Burial with military honors will be held at a later date in Maine Veterans' Memorial Cemetery, Civic Center Drive, Augusta.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Basil's name to Cancer Care of Maine, 33 Whiting Hill Road, Brewer, ME 04412.

Memories, condolences, photos and videos may be shared with the family on the obituary page of our website at www.khrfuneralhomes.com.