LEWISTON — Clarence I. Cole, 96, of Auburn, died Thursday, Dec. 1, at Central Maine Medical Center, following a brief illness.

He was born in Lewiston, Sept. 15, 1915, the son of Fred B. and Evelyn M. Cole. He married Dorothy I. Fyfe on July 26, 1940. He graduated from Edward Little High School in 1933, and Bliss Business College in 1935.

He was employed locally for several years at the Mechanics Savings Bank and Auburn Savings Bank. He joined the firm of Snow’s Inc. in 1946, as office manager, retiring in 1980, as vice president and treasurer.

He was a veteran of World War II, serving as a cryptographer with the 86th division in both the European and Asiatic Theater.

During his membership of the United Methodist Church of Auburn, he served on the Building Committee, president and treasurer of the trustees and financial secretary and treasurer of the church. He was a member of Tranquil Lodge AF&AM 29, the Scottish Rites Masonic Bodies, the Kora Temple Shrine and was a past noble grand of Abou Ben Adhcm Lodge IOOF.

He was a past president of the Auburn Exchange Club and the Edward Little High School Alumni Association, a corporator and past trustee of the Auburn Public Library, a corporator of Central Maine Medical Center, an honorary corporator of the Androscoggin Savings Bank of which he served as a trustee for 24 years. He was a past president and trustee of the Auburn Sewerage District and a past member of the Lewiston-Auburn Water Pollution Control Authority. He served as publicity chairman for the City of Auburn’s centennial celebration and as chairman of Auburn’s Community Development Advisory Committee in 1974, the year he was named Auburn Man of the Year by the Auburn Business Association. He was appointed to the Advisory Council of the Small Business Administration Region 1 in 1982, and was a member and past secretary and treasurer of Lewiston-Auburn SCORE Chapter 325.

Survivors include his wife, Dorothy Cole of Auburn; a daughter, Marcia C. Nowell and her husband, Clayton, of Hancock; a grandson, Christopher Nowell and his wife, Melissa; and two great-grandsons, McKeon Finn Nowell and Cole Clayton Nowell.

He was predeceased by two sisters, Barbara M. Littlefield and Florence Cole.

Online condolences and sharing of memories may be expressed at www.lynchbrothers.com.