VERONA ISLAND – William Bacon Noyes Jr., 75, died June 11, 2007, at the Maine Veterans’ Home, Bangor. He was born Sept. 9, 1931, in Springfield, Mass., the son of William B. and Marion C. (Desmond) Noyes Sr., He was a 1949 graduate of the former Technical High Sch-ool, Springfield, Mass., where he was a member of the track team. He was a member of Park Congregational Church and master councilor in the local DeMolay. He enlisted in the 82nd airborne paratroopers and served two tours of duty in Korea, where he successfully completed two combat parachute jumps. He parachuted behind enemy lines and was captured by the Chinese, but was able to escape. Upon his discharge, he spent three years in the U.S. Navy, after which he re-enlisted in the Army and spent three tours of duty in Vietnam. Prior to going to Vietnam, he was a drill sergeant, responsible for training new recruits at Fort Polk, La. He spent a total of 54 months on active combat duty in Korea and Vietnam. For his actions, he earned two silver stars; four bronze stars; four Purple Hearts; two Combat Infantry Badges, one each for Korea and Vietnam; U.S. Army Presidential Unit Citations, along with many unit citations from the Republic of Korea and Vietnam. After his Vietnam tours, he became a military cook at various bases, a talent he carried with him into civilian life. Upon military retirement, he worked for Hampden County Correctional Facility and then moved to Castine, where he owned and operated Donovan’s Cafe. He was a proud friend of 31 years to Bill W., an avid Red Sox fan and enjoyed gardening, oil painting and spending time with his beloved dog, Berry. In recent years, he attended Franklin Street United Methodist Church, Bucksport, where he made great and lasting friends. He leaves his daughter, Kathy White of Haverhill, Mass.; two sons, Lt. William Noyes III, stationed with the Army in South Korea, and Sean M. Noyes of Waterville; a granddaughter, Heather Mott of Murfreesboro, Tenn.; three sisters, Dorothy Kirk and her husband, Albert, of Wilbraham, Mass., Beverly-Jean Coleman of Byron Bay, Australia, and Peggy Baird and her husband, Kenneth, of Fayette-ville, Tenn.; many nieces, nephews and cousins, along with several great-grand-children. He was predeceased by a daughter, Linda (Noyes-Mott) Lokey, in 2000. A graveside service with military honors will be 9 a.m. Tuesday, June 19, at the Maine Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery, 163 Mount Vernon Road, Aug-usta, with Pastor Peter Remick officiating. Memorial services for William are planned at Franklin Street United Methodist Church and in Massachusetts, both at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Bangor Veterans’ Center, 352 Harlow St., Bangor, ME 04401-4908, on behalf of veterans’ with post traumatic stress disorder. Arrangement by Mitchell-Tweedie Funeral Home, 28 Elm St., Bucksport.
WILLIAM B. NOYES JR.
