SABATTUS – Robert C. Willey, 79, died Tuesday, Jan. 1, in his home surrounded by his loving family.

He was born Nov. 20, 1928, in Augusta, a son of Charles and Lila Stackhouse Willey. He attended Chelsey and Gardiner schools. He married Ruby Siegars of Randolph on July 15, 1950. Mrs. Willey died in 1996.

In 1944, at the age of 15, he entered into the Maritime School, New York, before serving aboard the Liberty ships on the North Atlantic supplying troops. He later served the U.S. Marine Corps.

He worked for BIW beginning as a diver and retired while serving in machine maintenance. After retiring, he helped his wife run Willey’s Market, Brunswick. He also held jobs in television repair, on the Maine Turnpike, and through the enlargement of Dow Airfield, Bangor.

They enjoyed travel to several Caribbean Islands, Hawaii, the Southern United States, and wintering in Arizona for many years. He enjoyed horse racing and trips to the casinos.

Surviving are two daughters, Lynn Reinsch and her husband, Mark, of Florida, and Sandra Pinard and her husband, Tom, of Sabattus; a son, Robert A. Willey and his wife, Lisa, of Topsham; two brothers, Charles L. Willey of Richmond and Philip C. Willey of Wiscasset; one sister-in-laws, Rose Keller and her husband, Kerwin, of Augusta; a brother-in-law, James Seigars of Dublin, Texas; seven grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.