AUBURN — Robert K. Greeley, 83, of East Poland, passed away Tuesday, March 20, at Clover Manor. He was born in Lewiston on July 20, 1934, the son of Arthur and Elma Kittridge Greeley. He was a graduate of Edward Little High School.
After high school, he worked in California as a mechanic and later as a card player and dealer in Reno, Nev. Moving back to Maine, he was a welder and foreman of all bridges on I-95 for Callahan Brothers. The biggest project he ever worked on was the Campobello Island Bridge.
He owned and operated Greeley’s Garage from 1956 until he sold the business in 1998 to his brother, Tom Greeley. He worked logging and running a bulldozer for a time. He was a race car driver; racing was his life. He was inducted into the Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2011. He entered several of his tow trucks into the “Tow Show” at Old Orchard Beach yearly. He raced at Daytona in the ’70s, Oxford Plains Speedway, Beechridge Motor Speedway, Arundel Speedway and race tracks in Virginia. He loved traveling to Vegas and St. Thomas. He traveled with Jim Sargent and Harold Bouchard. Following Bob’s retirement from racing, Bruce and Sandy Haley drove for him for about 10 years.
He is survived by his wife, Verna; his daughter Jewel Nolan; his grandson, Ty Robert Martin; stepchildren, Stephen Pelletier, Jeanne Komulainen, Janice Thomas and Dan Pelletier; several grandchildren and great-grandchildren; his brother, Tom Greeley; his best friend, Jim Pittman; and dedicated co-worker, Roger Bard. He was predeceased by his sister, Nancy Fitchie, of California.
Online condolences may be shared with his family at www.oxfordhillsfuneralservices.com.
Robert K. Greeley
