William Joseph Byron Jr.

William J. Byron, Jr. of Westbrook, Maine, formerly of Sebago, Me and Rochester, NH, age 96, died in Portland, Me on December 25, 2016. Born in Exeter, NH on September 21, 1920, he was the son of William J and Elizabeth Cox Byron. He moved to East Rochester in the late 1930’s, where he lived until he moved to Sebago, Maine in 2003. William attended the Maine School for the Deaf in Portland, Me. He left school at the age of 16 when his father passed away to move back home to help his sisters Addie & Bertha support their mother. He was the oldest living alumna of the Deaf School after his friend and class-mate Miles Hawkins died in 2013. William worked at Hubbard Shoe and Allen & Hall Box Factory and retired from Thompson Center Arms, where he assembled muskets. William loved to dance, even being deaf, no one would know he couldn’t hear the music. He loved woodworking and tinkering with machinery and was always out in his shop building or fixing something. He seemed to be able to fix anything. He also enjoyed his gun collection and hunting and fishing with is brother-in-law Johnny and nephew Wayne Baribeault. William bagged a moose with his step-son John Levesque in 2006. William was a member of the Westbrook, Maine Deaf Senior Citizens, where he enjoyed socializing with other deaf, playing Bingo and card games and going out to eat. William was pre-deceased by his father William Byron, Sr., his mother Elizabeth Cox Byron, his brother Joseph Byron, his sisters Lydia Hersom, Evelyn Dane, Adelaide Baribeault and Bertha Byron. He was also pre-deceased by his infant son Richard, his wife, Dorothy Costello Byron in 2008 and wife Jane Leighton Levesque Byron in 2011. Survivors include his nieces and nephews, Wayne Baribeault, Joanne Stevens, Paul & Betty Veilleux all of Rochester, NH and Charles & Maxine Hersom of Pittsburg, NH as well as his step-children Norma & Richard Boulanger and Lawrence & Joann Levesque of Windham, Maine, John Levesque of Standish, Maine, Nola and James Scott of Somersworth, NH, and many great nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held 11:00AM Friday December 30, at St. Anne’s Catholic Church, 299 Main Street Gorham, followed by a reception at the church. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to the MAINE DEAF SENIOR CITIZENS, 140 Old Alfred Rd., East Waterboro, ME 04030-5110.

William Joseph Byron Jr.

September 21, 1920 - December 25, 2016

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