Auburn – Erlon Freedom Rand, 84, of Wilton, passed away Wednesday, July 14, 2021, at the Androscoggin Hospice House with his wife and daughters by his side. He was born Oct. 23, 1936, the son of Freedom and Helen (Staples) Rand. He graduated from Wilton Academy in 1955, and joined the Army shortly after that serving two years of active duty and 2 years of reserves. On Nov. 11, 1960, he married Jean McDowell in Princeton, ME and moved into their new home in Wilton shortly after, where they raised their three daughters. Erlon was a man of many trades; he was the owner if Rand’s Orchards and saw mill with his dad and later with his wife, Jean.
He was a former member of the Maine Pomological Society and the Wilton Lions Club, and a current member of the Wilton Masonic Lodge #156 AF and AM. He enjoyed years of playing golf and could be seen at the Wilson Lake Country Club early in the morning with his friends, Owen, Bernie, Phil, Bill, Dean, and Alan. He also played courses in Florida, Kentucky, Georgia, Canada, and most of Maine. He enjoyed attending UMF basketball games, and would always attend the high school basketball tournaments in Augusta.
After retirement, he did carpentry work with Mike Fogg, and was a parking attendant at Franklin Memorial Hospital.
He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Jean, and their daughters, Linda (Scott) Blodgett, Debbie (Kurt) Moody, and Brenda Rand; grandchildren, Chris Blodgett, Josh Blodgett and wife Meghan, Kyle Maines, Taylor Maines and fiancé Corey Swan, Amanda Moody, and Kara Moody; great grandchildren, Landen Blodgett, Connor Blodgett, Callie Blodgett, and one due in October; sister, Joyce Orff of Wilton; in-laws, Betsy Skedgell of GA, Jeff and Nancy Nichols of GA, Joan and Peter Washburn of Readfield; man nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his parents, Freedom and Helen Rand, mother and father-in-law; Bernard and Ida (Miller) McDowell; brothers-in-law, Ruel Orff and Bob Skedgell.
The family would like to than the many people that cared for Erlon at Franklin Memorial Hospital, Central Maine Medical Center, Alfond Center and Androscoggin Hospice House for their great care. The family suggests that in lieu of flowers, those who desire consider memorial donations in his memory to The Wilton United Methodist Church, PO Box 517, Wilton, ME 04294 or to the Androscoggin Hospice House, 236 Stetson Road, Auburn, ME 04210. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a memorial visitation at the Wiles Remembrance Center, 137 Farmington Falls Road, Farmington, Saturday, July 24 from 11-12pm where memorial services will be held at Noon followed by a reception at the Center. Private interment will be at Lakeview Cemetery in Wilton. Memories and a memorial video may be shared in his Book of Memories at www.wilesrc.com.