William Deming

William Lloyd “Bill” Deming, 61, of Colorado Springs, Colo. passed away on Saturday, June 2, 2018 after a courageous battle with muscular dystrophy.

He was born on Jan. 26, 1957 in Barberton, Ohio and was the only son of the late Clifford L. Deming and wife, Esther L. Smith. The family moved to Bridgton in the early 1970s, and Bill graduated from Lake Region High School in 1975.

On June 15, 1980, at the age of 23, he joined the Army in Bridgton and went to basic training at Fort Jackson, then on to Fort Sam Houston for medical training. He served as a medic in the field and in hospitals for 20 years. In those 20 years, he served across the country, including Alaska, Washington and Massachusetts.

He served in the Persian Gulf War, serving in hospitals in both Iraq and Saudi Arabia. After Saudi Arabia, he served a tour in Thailand, training soldiers in their country. In the late ’90s, Bill also served a tour in Somalia during the Somali Civil War. During his time in Somalia, the hospital he was stationed at came under mortar fire and would later tell of treating wounded Army rangers. Despite being a harsh country to be stationed in, he called Somalia a “Dream Assignment” because he was able to help children, the elderly, the blind and, “People who have never seen a doctor in their life.”

After Somalia, Bill came home to the United States and was discharged from the Army in June of 2000 at Fort Carson in Colorado. Liking the area, he decided to make his home in Colorado Springs and began working at the local VA hospital providing medical care for soldiers, who had suffered traumatic brain injuries. He was very proud of his service with the United States Army and despite suffering ailments later in life, he also did volunteer work for a local fire station and EMTs where he provided advice on helping victims of extreme medical trauma.

As a young boy, his dad taught him how to play the drums and he enjoyed playing them his entire life. He also loved listening to classic rock and roll music and building model airplanes.

Bill was a very loving, quiet gentleman with an exceptional sense of humor. With his medical skills and kind heart, he and his sister, Susan, had nursed their mother, Esther, in her dying days of 2001. He enjoyed coming back to Bridgton to visit with family, especially in the last years of his life.

He is greatly missed by both family and friends. His loving spirit and proud military service will not be forgotten. Surviving Bill is his loving niece, Monica Avila and grandniece Jasmine, of Florida; his two nephews, Vincent and Christopher Rager of Ohio; and many cousins who all loved and cared about him very much.

He was predeceased by his only sister, Susan Rager; and his parents, Clifford and Esther Smith Deming.

A graveside service with military honors will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 28, 2018 at Homeland Cemetery, located at 67 Middle Ridge Road in Bridgton.