1930 – 2015

AUBURN — John D. Chester, 84, passed away peacefully on Friday, Jan. 16, at Clover Manor.

He was born in Queens, N.Y., on Nov. 11, 1930, a son of William F. and Jeannette Dowden Chester. As a boy, John enjoyed many summers staying with his aunt, Emma, and uncle, Bill Fischer, and cousins at Lake Hapatcong, N.J. He graduated from Arlington Academy in Arlington, Vt., in 1948.

John served four years with the U.S. Air Force 20th Air Division and was a B-29 bomber aircraft crew member. He is a Korean War veteran and received the Korean War Service Medal and five battle stars.

John married Jane Teresa Mullen on April 24, 1954, at Saint Bernard’s Church in Rockland.

In 1955, John enlisted in the Maine State Police and was a graduate of the Maine State Police Training Academy. He was first assigned to patrol duties as a state trooper in the South Berwick, Berwick, North Berwick and Eliot areas, and later was assigned to patrol the Wiscasset, Boothbay Harbor, Boothbay, Edgecomb, Southport, Westport and Whitefield areas.

In 1967, he was promoted to sergeant and made a supervisor in the Communications Bureau at State Police Headquarters in Augusta. He was next promoted to assistant planning and research officer. He was an instructor at Maine State Police Academy, where he taught accident investigation for 12 years. He is the author of the first Maine State Police Department fatal accident investigation manual.

John retired from the Maine State Police in 1975. He later worked for the Boothbay Harbor Police Department and the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Department, where he was the communications supervisor and court officer. John spent a total of 29 years in law enforcement. He was later employed at Brunswick Naval Air Station, where he worked for 16 years as an occupational safety and health specialist.

He traveled to East Coast naval air bases, plus bases in Portugal, Puerto Rico and Bermuda for safety and health inspections of naval aircraft facilities. While employed at BNAS, John received the Sustained Superior Performance Award for the work he did at BNAS and other naval air bases.

For many years, John was a freelance writer for local newspapers. He is the author of Wiscasset’s Town Cannon Manual, a history of its Civil War-era cannon that is proudly displayed next to the veterans’ memorial in Wiscasset.

In 2004, John received the first Golden Resolution Award from the town manager and Board of Selectmen, in honor and recognition for the volunteer work he did for the town of Wiscasset for 45 years.

John enjoyed reading, oil painting pictures of the coast and sailing ships, and landscape design, including building rock walls. He was known for the beautiful landscaping at his Wiscasset home, where he lived for 42 years with his loving wife, Jane. He also enjoyed spending time at home with his wife, their dog, Joey, and his children and grandchildren.

John is survived by his son, John R. Chester, of San Diego, Calif; his son, Michael Chester and family of Bristol, R.I.; his daughter, Jeannette and husband, John Fusaro, and grandchildren, Jacob, Joseph and Julia Fusaro, all of Lisbon; and his daughter, Susan Chester, of Lafayette, Ind.; as well as nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by his wife, Jane Chester; his brother, William Chester, of Oregon; and his brother, Steve Chester, of New Mexico.

Condolences, donations and a video tribute may be accessed online at www.albert-burpee.com.