SCARBOROUGH — Paul R. Dube, 92, of Scarborough, passed away early Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011, at the Gosnell Hospice in Scarborough.
He was born in Nashua, N.H., on Sept. 2, 1919, the son of Napoleon (Paul) and Delia (Renaud) Dube. His mother died when he was a teenager.
He attended New Hampshire parochial schools and joined the Civil Conservation Corps where he helped build hiking trails in Maine. He then joined the U.S. Army in 1941 serving in WW II as a medic. He served at the 124th EVAC Hospital in France and Germany. After his discharge, he served 19 years in the National Guard.
He was stationed at Ft. Williams in Cape Elizabeth, when he met his wife Lena Quatrano at a USO dance. They were married on Aug. 2, 1942. They lived in the Portland neighborhood known as “Little Italy” surrounded by Lena’s parents and her 10 siblings on Little Middle Street. In 1965, they built their home in Scarborough beside Lena’s sister, Kiki.
Paul worked as a smoke stack cleaner for Chicago Bridge and traveled extensively, sometimes alone and sometimes taking the family with him. They lived in Tennessee and Florida for short periods of time. He also worked at the Portland Company and retired from General Electric as a welde in 1978.
For many years after his retirement, you could find him at the Maine Mall every day with several of his close friends. They would walk the Mall and sample any free samples put out by the nutrition store that they immediately judged to be awful as they made their way back to McDonald’s. His buddies called him the “Mayor of the Mall.”
His family was his number one love and many celebrations were held at his home in Scarborough. Every Sunday was “Dube Day.” He loved talking war stories with anyone who would listen and especially liked to compare Army to Navy with his son Butch.
He always had a garden full of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and zucchini that he shared.
Paul was predeceased by his parents; brothers, Romeo, Raymond and Ludger, his sister, Pauline Akey; his wife, Lena Quatrano Dube; his son, Paul (Butchie) R. Dube Jr.; and grandson.
He is survived by his daughter, Delia (Dee) Foley of Portland; his son, Raymond J. Dube of Scarborough; his beloved brother, Roland Dube of Nashua, N.H.; and five grandchildren including James E. Foley III of Naples; and 12 great-grandchildren including James E. Foley IV, Nicholas Foley and Andrew P. Foley of Naples; and many nieces, nephews and grandnieces and nephews.
Visitation was held at Conroy-Tully Crawford, South Portland Chapel, 1024 Broadway, South Portland on Saturday, Sept. 24. Prayer services were held immediately following with burial at Calvary Cemetery, South Portland.
Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.ctcrawford.com
At the family’s request, memorial donations may be made to the Gosnell Hospice of Scarborough.