PRESQUE ISLE – Roland K. Forbes, 85, a devoted husband, father, grandfather and family man, died May 26, 2009, at the Maine Veterans’ Home, Caribou. Rollie was born Oct. 23, 1923, in Wade, the son of Freeman and Enza (Alley) Forbes. He grew up in Wade, Washburn and Mapleton near Haystack. He served in the U.S. Army 466th Amphibian Truck Co. in New Guinea, South Pacific, as a mechanic from 1947 to 1950 where he earned the rank of staff sergeant. Upon returning home, he met, fell in love with and married Marlene Faith Guerrette. Roland was well known throughout the county for his mechanical abilities. He worked for John Deere Co. for 20 years. He is survived by a brother, Carroll Forbes of Caribou; four sons, Wilfred Forbes and his wife, Brenda, of Biddeford, Terry Forbes and his partner, Cindy, of Old Orchard Beach, Keith Forbes and his wife, Barbara, of Glenburn, and Kevin Forbes of San Diego; two daughters, Gail Woodman and her husband, Russell, of Castle Hill and Karen Forbes and her partner, Jennifer Cragen, of Saco; his little girl, Arlene (Guerrette) Elliott of Presque Isle; six grandchildren, Brian Forbes of Hillsboro, Ore., Kyrra Mahaney of Hudson, N.H., Jason Forbes of Castle Hill, Joshua Forbes of Dayton, Ohio, Aaron Forbes of South Bend, Ind., and Isaac Forbes of Orono; and nine great-grandchildren, Katherine, Timothy, Michael, Elizabeth Forbes, Zachary and Arianna Forbes, Trevor, Tyler and Brendan Mahaney. His wife of 55 years, Marlene (Garrote) Forbes; his mother and father; two sisters, Doris Gladden and Geraldine Miller; two brothers, Milton and Merle Forbes; and daughter-in-law, Virginia Forbes, predeceased him. The family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the staff of Caribou Veterans Home for their compassionate and professional care of Roland over the past three years. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated 10 a.m. Friday, May 29, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church with the Rev. Aaron Damboise, celebrant. Friends may call 9 a.m. until time of the Mass at the church. A military committal will be 1 p.m. Friday at the Maine Veterans’ Cemetery, Caribou. Donations may be made in his memory to the Maine Veterans’ Home, 163 Van Buren Road, Suite 2, Caribou, ME 04736. Condolences may be expressed at www.duncan-graves.com.
ROLAND K. FORBES
