ORLAND – Gene Dale Sweet Sr., 68, died Feb. 9, 2006, at a Blue Hill hospital. He was born Dec. 14, 1937, in Teaneck, N.J., son of Gerald and Eleanor (Davenport) Sweet. He moved to Orland with his family Jan. 12, 1944, where he attended a one-room schoolhouse in East Orland. He served in the U.S. Navy for two years at the Navy mine depot in Yorktown, Va. and two years on the destroyer USS Douglas H. Fox DD 779. He worked several years at Hackensack News Co., New Jersey. Gene and his wife, Diane moved back to Maine in 1963. Gene worked in construction for two years then went to work for St. Regis Paper Co. in 1966, as an electrician and retired in 2000, as an electrical and instrument technician for Champion International Corp., Bucksport. He also loved to hunt and fish. He was a member of the Rising Sun Masonic Lodge No. 71, Orland and the Anah Temple Shrine, Bangor. Gene is survived by his son, Gene “Dale” Sweet Jr.; three sisters, Joy Reed, Glenice Tozier and her husband, Harold, Leila Seavey and her husband, Dennis; one brother, Steve Helbig and his wife, Mary Ann; two aunts, Harriet Davenport of New Jersey and Mildred Harrison of Prospect; many nieces, nephews and cousins. In addition to his parents, Gene was predeceased by two brothers, Kenneth Sweet and William “Mark” Helbig. Visitation will be 10-11 a.m. Monday, Feb. 13, at the Mitchell-Tweedie Funeral Home, 28 Elm St., Bucksport, where a funeral service will be held 1 p.m. Monday, with Pastor Peter Remick, officiating. In lieu of flowers, it was Gene’s request that donations may be made to the Shriner’s Hospital For Children, care of Anah Shrine Center, P.O. Box 735, Bangor, ME 04402-0735.
GENE DALE SWEET SR.
