FARMINGTON – Peter Cornelio, 93, a former resident of Jay, passed away, Thursday, April 9, 2020, at Woodlands Assisted Living Facility in Farmington. He was born in Riley, Maine, on February 1, 1927, a son of Bernadino and Alice Cornelio. Peter was their fifth child out of 11. He joined the Navy, during World War II, at the age of 18. He spent the majority of his time stationed in Okinawa. After he got out of the Navy, he fell in love with Rhea Turmel. They got married on June 14, 1947 and started their own family. Peter was a very devoted parishioner of St Joseph’s Parish in Farmington, Maine. He had many jobs in his lifetime. He started working for GH Bass & Co when he and Rhea lived in Wilton. They soon bought a farm and started raising chickens. He raised up to 56,000 chickens every nine weeks. He also had pigs, sheep and a few cows. He owned a back-hoe and built septic systems on the side. In later years, he was a school bus driver for the Jay School District. Peter also worked for Turner Publishing with his brother John, delivering newspapers all over Maine. Peter was a woodsman at heart. He always heated his home with wood. He was very generous, and because he had boundless energy, he would cut, saw and split wood for family members that needed it, and deliver it to them. He continued cutting ten cord of wood every year, until he was ninety years old. Peter’s favorite things to do were playing cards, picking berries, boiling down sap for making maple syrup, making Italian cookies and playing his guitar while his six kids would sit around and sing. He really loved and played with his grandchildren every chance he got. Peter is predeceased by wife, Rhea (Turmel) Cornelio, youngest son, little John (at birth), adopted son, Douglas Williams, brothers Louis and Johnnie, sisters Mary and Millie Belskis and Rose Labbe. He is survived by sister, Angie Lowe, brother, Jimmy Cornelio with wife Paula, sister, Louise Oaks and husband Don, brother, Tommy Cornelio with partner Linda Stanhope and sister, Gloria Tardif with husband Richard. He is also survived by daughter Alice Thompson with husband Paul, son Denys Cornelio with wife Mary, daughter Teresa King with husband Douglas, son Donald Cornelio with wife Carla, daughter Marian Cornelio with partner Anna Loken and daughter Joanne Martel with husband Don, plus 15 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren. Messages of condolence may be sent to: www.finleyfuneralhome.comA service will be announced at later date. Interment at Holy Cross Cemetery, 445 Park Street, Livermore Falls, Maine. Arrangements by FINLEY FUNERAL HOME, 15 Church Street, Livermore Falls, Maine

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