EAST WILTON — Roderick L. Cushing, 68, of East Wilton, died peacefully at his home with family at his side on Tuesday, Dec. 4, from complications following a bone marrow transplant, after being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in 2011.

He was born April 25, 1944, in Rumford, a son of Gerald and Mildred (Bennett) Cushing. He received his education in local schools and was a graduate of UMF and earned a master’s degree in education in 1967.

For 38 years, he was a math teacher at Mt. Blue Middle School.

His life’s passion was Maine harness horse racing. Rick owned, trained, and drove horses along side of his brother, Bo, for 40 years with their horses always being stabled at their barn at the Farmington Fairgrounds. The family tradition in racing is being followed by sons, Ron and Michael, as well as daughter-in-law, Sherry (Michael’s wife).

He was a member of the Farmington Horsemen’s Association, the Maine Harness Horsemen’s Association, the U.S. Trotting Association and was director of the Maine Harness Racing Promotion Board.

His other interests included sports (The Patriots), politics, friends and traveling and dancing with his high school sweetheart and wife of 48 years, Gloria Smith Cushing.

He is loved by his wife, Gloria of East Wilton; their two sons, Ronald Cushing and his partner, Heidi Gibbs, of Albion and Michael Cushing and his wife, Sherry, of Farmington; his brother, Robert Cushing and his wife, Anna, of Farmington; grandchildren, Jessica and Mitchell (daughter and son of Ronald Cushing), Jessica Clouser (daughter of Sherry Cushing) and Steven Wilson (honorary Cushing family member); brothers-in-law, Albert Smith and his wife, Shannon, of East Wilton and Stanley Smith and his wife, Helen, of Marietta, Ga.; and several nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by a brother, Ronald D. Cushing (Korean War); sister-in-law, Irene Cushing; and brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Sheridan and Margerie Smith.

Condolences and tributes may be shared with his family on his memorial

wall at www.wilesrc.com.