Elmer R. Mendes

Elmer R. Mendes of Middleborough, a longtime resident of Duxbury, Marshfield, and Plymouth, passed away on May 30, 2019, at the age of 86. Elmer was the beloved son of the late Andre and Florence (Winslow) Mendes, and brother of the late Edward Mendes, Jennie Fontes, Donald Mendes, Shirley Mendes, and Russell Mendes. He is survived by his many friends in Marshfield, Duxbury and Plymouth. Born in Scituate, Elmer was the third child of six and at the age of 3 moved with his family to a home on a cranberry bog in Duxbury. The house had no running water or electricity. After his parents passed away, Elmer continued to live in the home with his two brothers Donald and Russell until the home was condemned in the 1970s. Never formally schooled, Elmer at a very young age started his daily rubbish and household garbage collection business and quickly became a delightful fixture in the town of Marshfield. In the early mornings, families and children were met with an arm above the head wave and a loud cry of "There he/she is!" Elmer couldn't always remember everyone's name so "Baby", "Sweetie", "My Boy", or whatever he could think of would work - seeing his friends would make his day complete and full. As the rubbish collection era changed, Elmer would make ends meet any way he could. As the years went on he would ride his bike throughout Marshfield and Duxbury tooting his bell to announce his arrival. The families in the community made sure he was fed and cared for. Elmer had many stays during the cold at some of the local Blue Lantern Inns, there he would get a good night's rest and a square meal. As Elmer got older, the Kaufman family of Marshfield advocated for him and found help through DSS, the ARC of Greater Plymouth, and Road to Responsibility. Elmer would eventually enjoy a life of sobriety and through RTR, move in to a group home in Middleborough in August of 2016. It was there he found his new family, clean clothing, and three square meals a day until his passing. Visiting hours will be held on Monday, June 10, 2019, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the MacDonald Funeral Home, 1755 Ocean Street, in Marshfield. A funeral Mass will be held on Tuesday, June 11, 2019. at 11 a.m. in the Holy Family Church, 695 Tremont Street, Duxbury. Elmer's ashes will be placed alongside those of his brothers Donald and Russell in the Mayflower Cemetery. Donations in Elmer's memory can be made to the Road to Responsibility, 1831 Ocean Street, Marshfield, MA 02050 or to the ARC of Greater Plymouth, 52 Armstrong Road, Plymouth, MA 02360. For online guest book and driving directions, please visit the web site macdonaldfuneralhome.com.