Roscoe H. Durrell's Obituary
It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our beloved father and husband, Roscoe Hayden Durrell, on Monday December 2, 2024; just 2 weeks shy of his 94th birthday. Roscoe was loved very much and will be missed by all who knew him.
Roscoe is survived by his wife of 21 years, Bibiana J. Wasiak of Stafford Springs CT; his son Timothy and Robin (Pisciotta) Durrell and family of Lyman SC; his son Denis and Gina (Syphers) Durrell and family of Stafford Springs CT; his daughter Karen (Durrell) and Thomas Dunlevy and family of Stafford Springs CT; his daughter Marcia (Durrell) and Joseph Golas and family of Jessup MD; his daughter Rhonda (Durrell) and Larry Reed and family of Warren ME and his step-daughter Roseann Bogusz and her partner Bob Keating of Streamwood IL.
Roscoe was pre-deceased by his first wife of forty-five years, Lillian (Nile) Durrell; his father and mother Elvin E. Durrell, Sr. and Hilda (Nichols) Durrell of Kingfield ME; his brother Elvin E. Durrell, Jr of Kingfield ME; his brother Carleton Durrell of Torrington CT; his sister Marcia (Durrell) Doherty of Fairfield ME and his great-great granddaughter Mary Ruth “Ruthie” McKown of Lyman SC.
Roscoe had fifteen grandchildren, twenty-five great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren as well as numerous in-laws, nieces and nephews on both the Durrell and Nile sides of the family tree.
We would like to acknowledge the following people and their families for their life-long love and support of our father and our family – sharing heartache and happiness as well as tears and laughter along the way: his niece Jackie and Peter Berlandi of Naples FL; Vaughn and Bobbi Burtt of Anson ME; Ray and Ginny Kuehl, Sr of Stafford Springs CT; Maury and Yvonne Schold of Stafford Springs CT (also for being our beloved “third” brother); Paul and Mona Richard of St. Petersburg FL.
Roscoe (also known as Mickey or Mike) was born in New Vineyard ME and grew up with his family on their dairy and vegetable farm in Kingfield ME. He graduated from Kingfield High School, Kingfield ME in 1949 and received a Degree in Accounting from Bliss Business College, Lewiston ME in 1953. In 1954, Roscoe married Lillian Nile and raised five children together. After a short stay in Kingfield ME, they moved to Connecticut where he worked briefly at Connecticut Bank and Trust in Hartford. His family finally settled in Stafford CT in 1963 where he was employed as a 2nd Shift Supervisor for AMF/CUNO in Stafford Springs CT until his retirement in 1992. He also worked for a brief time at Pratt and Whitney and as a bus driver for the Stafford School District while living in Connecticut.
After his retirement from AMF/CUNO, Roscoe and Lillian moved to Largo FL where he took excellent care of his wife until her passing in 1999. He worked at the local Publix grocery store stocking shelves in the wee hours of the morning and retired again. Roscoe had many friends in Florida and in 2003 he married his second wife, Bibiana Wasiak at Rainbow Village in Largo FL. Roscoe and Bibiana enjoyed spending time with family and friends from Chicago IL to Largo FL and everywhere in between. They recently relocated to Stafford Springs CT to be closer to Roscoe’s family in his last remaining years.
As a special note - Roscoe was one of the original five “Bigelow Boys” who helped blaze the first ski trails on Sugarloaf Mountain in Carrabassett Valley ME back in the early to mid-1950’s. He is mentioned a few times as Roscoe “Mickey” Durrell in the book “The Story of Sugarloaf” by John Christie. Roscoe (under the pseudonym of “Mike”) was also mentioned in the book “Oceans of Love” by Louis E. Watson, where the then Pastor Watson wrote about his dedication in repairing the entire floor of the Stafford Baptist Church in Stafford CT after the whole cathedral ceiling in the church fell one night.
Our family would like to extend our sincerest gratitude for the outpouring of love and support of so many people during this difficult time. Thank you for sharing your memories of our father with us.
Per Roscoe’s request, there will be no memorial or funeral services. There will be a private burial in Maine at a time and date to be determined. Please send any condolences to the attention of Bibiana Wasiak or Karen Dunlevy, 85 Bradway Road, Stafford Springs, CT 06076. Donations, in his remembrance, may be given to your charity of choice. To leave a condolence online for the family, please visit: www.introvignefuneralhome.com
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