1928 – 2014

AUBURN — Joseph “Harvey” Theriault, 86, of Auburn, passed away Sunday evening, Oct. 12, at home.

Harvey was born in Lewiston on Jan. 20, 1928, a son of Emile and Marguerite Flynn Theriault. Harvey lived in Auburn the majority of his life, graduating from Edward Little High School, with the Class of 1946.

He joined the U.S. Navy after graduation and served four years in the Panama Canal Zone on board the USS Orion ASl8 as an optical repairman. He graduated from Navy Optical School in Washington, D.C., in 1947. He was honorably discharged in May 1950.

Harvey was employed by Eastern States Farmers Exchange/Agway for 10 years and then another 19½ with Farm Credit of Maine, retiring in 1986 as a senior loan officer. He continued on after retirement in real estate as an appraiser, attending Maine appraisal classes to earn his Maine Real Estate Appraisal certification. He, once again, retired in December 2000.

He was very active in civic affairs, serving nine years on the Auburn City Council as well as on the board of directors for the Auburn-Lewiston Municipal Airport; Auburn Water District; Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments, executive board; Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council, loan committee; Maine Municipal Association; Lewiston-Auburn Railroad Board; Auburn Planning Board; and Auburn business development of the industrial park. He also served as president and manager of the Danville Pine Street Cemetery Association.

He was a member of Sixth Street Congregational Church, where he served as financial secretary. Harvey was a 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason, past master of Acacia Lodge No. 121 in Durham and a member of Kora Shrine Temple in Lewiston, where he was a member of the Kora Shrine Chanters.

Harvey will be remembered for his devotion to family, loyalty to friends, unfailingly sharp wit, integrity, compassion, love of growing vegetables and bird watching.

Harvey is survived by his wife of 62 years, Margaret Groves Theriault; daughter, Kathy and her husband, Edward Talpey, of Auburn and their children, Erin of Atlanta, Ga., and Adam of Auburn, and great-grandson, Aden, of Atlanta, Ga.; son, Bruce and his wife, Carol, of Lisbon; daughter, Linda and her husband, Fred Morton, of Poland and their son, Seth and his wife, Elizabeth, of Hillsboro, Ore.; granddaughter, Sandra Pomerantz, of New York; sisters, Grace Mercier of Greene, Irene Beaulieu of Greene and Margaret Wright of Bowdoin; and many nieces and nephews. He is also survived by special members of his extended family, Linda DeSantis of Auburn and Nancy Wilkins of Lewiston.

He was predeceased by his son, Mark; brothers, Joseph, Maurice and Norman; and sisters, Claire Keene and Jane Libby.

Condolences may be expressed at FuneralAlternatives.net.