UNION – William K. “Bud” Lamson, 87, died peacefully, Monday, Feb. 25, 2008, surrounded and comforted by the love of his family. Known affectionately as Buddy, he was born Sept. 20, 1920, in Jonesport, to Lewis Earl and Ella B. Sanborn Lamson. He attended Jonesport schools, where he played baseball and basketball. He held a passion for those sports all his life. He enjoyed the outdoors and times with his friends, duck hunting, deer hunting and fishing. Harvesting a hod of white sand clams was one of his greatest pleasures, along with rocking a baby, making lobster stew or smoking a cigar on a summer evening. On April 13, 1941, he married Janette Thurston and they lived briefly in Boston. While there, he worked for Construction Quartermasters. The couple later returned to Maine, where he worked in South Portland shipyards, building Liberty ships for the war. In 1943 Bud enlisted in the SeaBees and then transferred to the Navy, where he served in the Pacific as a seaman first class aboard the USS Sierra. After the war, Bud settled in Rumford Point with his wife, where they raised their family of seven children, and remained for 65 years. He worked in construction and then operated his own TV repair business in the Bethel area. He retired in 1983 after 17 1/2 years working for Rumford schools as head of the maintenance department. Bud loved baseball and played with the Community Athletic Association and helped establish the local Pine Tree League. He always followed high school basketball and once acted as manager and director of the YABC tournament playoffs. His civic activities included, membership in Hanover K of P, American Legion, local men’s club and Retired Firefighters of Rumford Point. For the last two years, Bud and Janette had been living with their daughter and her husband in Union, where they enjoyed becoming part of that community. Bud was predeceased by his parents; brothers, Forrest and Franklin; and sisters, Florence A. O’Brien and Barbara Hethcoat. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Janette; son and daughter-in-law, Lewis and Sydney Lamson of Fort Worth, Texas; daughters and sons-in-law, Carol and John Sotman of Norway, Laura and Roger Brainerd of Union, Jane and Greg Cunningham of Lovell, Barbara and Michael Moss of Cape Elizabeth, Lucille and Robert Reiner of Lompoc, Calif., and Jean and John Farnsworth of Vero Beach, Fla.; 18 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. A private family interment is scheduled for a later date. A celebration of Bud’s life is planned for the summer. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Kno-Wal-Lin Hospice & Palliative Care, 170 Pleasant St., Rockland, ME 04841. Arrangements are in the care of Burpee, Carpenter & Hutchins Funeral Home, 110 Limerock St., Rockland. To sign Bud’s online guest book, please visit www.bchfh.com.
WILLIAM K. ‘BUD’ LAMSON
