SCARBOROUGH – Aime Joseph Foisy, 90, formerly of Seventh Street, Auburn, died April 12, at the Maine Veterans’ Home.

He was born in Auburn, on Feb. 21, 1919, the son of Joseph Emeril and Lydia (Tremblay) Foisy. He lived in the Healy Orphan Asylum between the ages of four and 11 because his widowed mother could not afford to care for her family. He left school at the age of 13 in order to work to help support his mother and siblings.

He served in the U.S. Army from Feb. 2, 1942 through October 1945, serving as a reconnaissance engineer in the 24th Engineer Battalion of the Fourth Armored Division, landing in Normandy 12 days after D-Day. He participated in the campaign across France, reaching the Moselle River. He was a prisoner of war in Germany from Sept. 15, 1944 through May 2, 1945.

He was a weaver, loom fixer and mechanical instructor at several textile mills including the Hill Mill and the Androscoggin Mill of Bates Manufacturing, retiring in 1983. He was one of the founders and served as president of the Loom Fixers’ Association for three terms. He served the Lewiston Joint Board of the AFL-CIO’s Committee for political education by reminding citizens to vote, providing rides to the polls and helping immigrant workers become citizens. He also chaired this committee for 20 years.

He was a communicant of St. Louis Catholic Church and a Fourth Degree member of the Knights of Columbus. He was a life member of American Legion Post 22, a life member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1603, a member of the Disabled American Veterans, a commander and vice commander of the (Maine) Edgar L. Poss Chapter of American Ex-Prisoners of War organization and a life member of the American Philatelist Society. He also served as a volunteer service officer for 10 years at Togus Veterans Service Center.

He enjoyed walking, reading, stamp collecting, listening to classical music and discussing history, world affairs and politics. He was self-taught and self-reliant on many subjects including carpentry and woodworking.

In the late 1950s, he expanded his home’s living area by hand digging an expansion of the cellar, buying his own cement mixer to pour the expanded foundation and framed and finished the additional living space. After retirement, he became prolific at woodworking. He enjoyed many projects including making a wooden cradle, rocking horse, doll house and other items for his two grandchildren.

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Aurora (Paradis) Foisy of Lewiston; his daughter, Susan McKenney and her husband, Peter, of Cumberland; two grandchildren, Katherine Elise McKenney of London, England, and Lance Corporal Colin McKenney, USMC, of New River, N.C.; and one brother, Joseph Armand Foisy and his wife, “Min,” of Lewiston.

He was predeceased by his parents; one brother, Louis Joseph Foisy; and one sister, Yvonne Palardis of Chicopee Falls, Mass.

The family would like to thank the staff at the Maine Veterans’ Home in Scarborough for compassion and wonderful care to Aime during his stay.

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