Obituary: Ronald Lisle Bickford

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BANGOR, Maine — Ronald Lisle Bickford, 94, also known as “Ron” and “Bennie,” formerly of Naugatuck and Meriden, Conn., and Palm Coast, Fla., passed away Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2019 at the Maine Veterans’ Home in Bangor. He was the husband of the late Joanne W. Bickford.

Mr. Bickford was born Nov. 9, 1924 in Waterbury, Conn., the son of the late Edgar and Hazel (Lewis) Bickford. He was raised in Naugatuck, Conn., and in 1943 joined the U.S. Army, where he received artillery training on Cape Cod and was held over in England pending the D Day invasion. He fought with the Fifth Armored Division landing in Normandy and eventually fighting in the Battle of the Bulge. When he returned from Europe, he found work at Connecticut Light and Power, now Eversource, eventually overseeing their power transmission projects throughout New England. He and his wife Joanne moved to Meriden, Conn., and after he retired they spent years traveling the country in their RV. They settled in Palm Coast, Fla., for several years and eventually moved next to Joanne’s daughter Sue in Passadumkeag, Maine. After Joanne’s death, Ron moved to the Maine Veterans’ home, where he lived for the past six years. Ron was a long-time member the Masons and the Elks beginning at Shepherd Salem Lodge No. 78 and the Naugatuck B.P.O.E. 967.

Mr. Bickford is survived by his son, Scott R. Bickford of New Orleans, La., and his daughter, Tamara B. Nuenighoff and her husband, Stephen, of Mt. Pleasant, N.C., from his first marriage, as well as his deceased wife’s children, Susan Morin and her husband, Victor, of Passadumkeag, Maine, Linda Seibert and her husband, Thomas, of Jamestown, Colo., and Deborah Winchester of Ryegate, Vt., as well as nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his brother, Lawson Bickford, and his sister, Lois V. Litke.

The family would like to thank the staff of the Maine Veterans’ Home in Bangor who provided Ron with exceptional care throughout his stay.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2019 at 11 a.m. at the Alderson-Ford Funeral Home of Naugatuck, 201 Meadow St. Burial will follow in Grove Cemetery. There will be a short visitation beginning at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday at the funeral home preceding the service.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Maine Veterans’ Home, Bangor at mainevets.charityproud.org or the Bangor Humane Society at bangorhumane.org/donate-ways-to-give.

For online condolences, visit www.fordfh.com.