JAY — Clarendon Lee (Bing) Crosby, 86, of Jay, died unexpectedly at his home Sunday morning, Feb. 25.

He was born Feb. 9, 1932, in Wilton, the son of Lee Seldon and Margaret (Preston) Crosby. Bing was raised in Wilton and attended Wilton Academy School until his senior year. When his parents built a new house in North Jay, he went to Jay High School his senior year and graduated from Jay in 1950.

He joined the U.S. Army and spent three years in Japan working in the motor pool. He returned from the service and married Gladys Plaisted. They had two children, and later divorced. In 1971, he married Nancy Lyman, and he inherited four more children.

After being discharged from the service, he worked for a garage/dealership in South Paris, then returned to Jay and went to work at IP mill. Due to health problems, he left the mill and started his own janitorial service, Red Carpet Cleaning Service. He continued the cleaning service for several years and he decided to sell the business and seek work with less demanding hours. He went to work for Jay School Department as a custodian, then moved to Livermore Falls School Department, first as a bus driver then as transportation director. A position then became available as transportation and maintenance director for the Farmington School Department. He applied and got the job. He retired from SAD 9 in 1994.

Bing was involved in country music since age 9. At age 17, he joined Ralph Latham’s Pine Ridge Mountain Boys, his senior year in high school. While in the service in Japan he joined with other bands and entertained the servicemen. After being discharged, he re-joined Ralph’s band for a few years, then he branched out and fronted several bands of his own. In 2006, he was inducted in the Maine Country Music Hall of Fame, which was one of his proudest moments.

Bing is also a life member of the Farmington Elks Lodge No. 430.

He is survived by his wife, Nancy; son, Bruce Crosby, of Chelsey; daughter, Lynda Terry, and husband, Dan, of New Hampshire; son, Kenneth Lyman, and wife, Sheila, of East Livermore; daughter, Janet Lane, and husband, Ray, of Bangor; daughter, Janice Strout, of Kenduskeag; and daughter, Jennifer Morrell, of Farmington; grandchildren, Michael Campbell, Brandon Campbell, Bianca Jackson and significant other, Ryan Woods, Kendra Lyman-Hood and husband, Jarred, Kimberly Nadeau and husband, Andy, Kristen Lane and fiance, Dion Gould, Shane Strout and wife, Heather, Shauna Deans and husband, Shannon, Alexandar Morrell and girlfriend, Kelsey Brann, and Zackary Morrell; great-grandchildren, Alysha, Kane and Dean Campbell, Kael and Rennen Woods, Riley, Braedon, Madilyn and Grace Nadeau, Silas Strout, William and Wyatt Deans. He is also survived by a sister.

He was predeceased by his parents; father- and mother-in-law, Royston (Stubby) and Gladys Lyman; son-in-law, Daniel Morrell; and grandson, Kendrick Lyman; special uncle and aunt, Roger and Edie Preston. He was also predeceased by a brother.

Condolences and tributes as well as a memorial video may be shared on his memorial wall at www.wilesrc.com.

Clarendon L. “Bing” Crosby