DOVER-FOXCROFT – Drummond “Bud” Earley Jr., 73, died Feb. 17, 2011, at Dexter Health Care. He was born Sept. 15, 1937, in Dover-Foxcroft, son of Drummond and Margaret (Andrews) Earley.
Bud graduated from Foxcroft Academy, Class of 1956.
He lettered and was a star player in baseball and in football as a pitcher and a quarterback, respectively. He proudly served in the U.S. Army and attained the rank of sergeant and also served as a member of the Military Police. He conducted a one-year tour of duty in the Korean peace keeping mission shortly after the war on the 38th parallel. After honorable discharge, he became a businessman and started his career as a car salesman at McDonald Ford Co., Dover-Foxcroft. Later he secured a job as sales manager at Pine State Volkswagen, Darling Toyota, and other dealerships in Bangor. He then started his own ventures, including Northern Yankee, which focused on used car sales, but also ventured into energy efficiency products. The name of the firm was apt as Bud was a true “Yankee” and he loved to do business in Maine, in large part because it gave him the opportunity to meet people and develop long term friendships. He was very good friends with his business partner, Elaine Ingersoll and her family, Beth and Todd, to whom he became a surrogate uncle. They eventually started an inventory business together that took Bud across his home state that he loved so much. He continued to travel Maine and meet her people by distributing large print phone books for elderly and other vision impaired customers. Bud enjoyed hunting and fishing and playing golf with his sons, Dusty and Scott. He was always up for a game of catch or doing target practice on the range with them. Bud was also an avid reader and started the day by reading the Bangor Daily News, and in the evening he especially liked Zane Grey novels. He loved to cut wood and mow grass, to be in Maine’s forests and fields, and he also had an especially “green thumb.” Bud could grow bountiful vegetables and flowers even in the short Maine growing season, and during harvest time, he was always giving away surplus produce to friends and others in need, especially his specialty “Early Girl” tomatoes which he grew in honor of his sisters.
Bud is survived by his two sons, Drummond “Dusty” Earley III of Boulder, Colo., and Scott Earley of Fort Collins, Colo.; two grandchildren, Marissa and Nico; and by his siblings: his only brother, Robert Earley and his wife, Diane, of Dover-Foxcroft, and four loving sisters, Mrs. Wilhelmina Shaw and husband, Charles, of Dover-Foxcroft, Mrs. Janet Forester of Bainbridge, Ga., Mrs. Betty Rogers and husband, Peter, of Eva, Tenn, and Mrs. Linda Parent and husband, Greg, of Corinth. He also has many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by his parents; a sister, Geraldine; and brother in-law, Bob Forrester.
Services will be held at the convenience of the family at a later date. A trust fund will be established in Drummond Earley Jr.’s name to establish a small memorial at the Korean War Memorial in Mount Hope Cemetery, Bangor, in recognition of his military service. For further information or to make a small donation, please contact Drummond “Dusty” Earley III at dearley3@yahoo.com.
Arrangements are in the care of Lary Funeral Home. Messages of condolence and memories may be expressed at
www.laryfuneralhome.com.