Person:Rodney Wardwell (1)

Listed in 1951 & 1953 Lewiston Directory, living in Auburn.

POLAND - Rodney Wardwell, 77, of 23 Brook Drive passed over peacefully on Friday, Jan. 3, at his home due to complications from progressive supranuclear palsy. He was in the care of his loving family and the Androscoggin Home Hospice care team. He was born in Waterville on Oct. 12, 1925, the son of Everett and Winnifred (Matthews) Wardwell. He was a graduate of Livermore Falls High School and attended Farmington Normal School. On July 2, 1948, he married Phyllis Chouinard of East Dixfield. He served in the U.S. Navy from June, 1943, to April, 1946. He received advanced training as a hospital corpsman and was assigned to LST 53. He saw duty in the invasion of Normandy Beach in June, 1944. From there he went to Biezerte, Tunisia, and Palermo, Sicily, where he worked in the operating room of the Naval Base Hospital. Upon his return to the United States, he was assigned duty at the Navy Separation Center in Boston and was discharged from there. He worked briefly as a pharmaceutical sales representative for McNeil Laboratories of Philadelphia, Pa. In 1949, he started his lifetime career of 51 years in automobile and truck dealerships, working as a manager in Lewiston, Waterville and Brunswick. In 1958 he went to Auburn Motor Sales as the heavy truck sales manager and retired from Rowe Fordland, after 42 years, in July, 2000. He received numerous awards from Ford Motor Company over the years for his managerial ability. He was a longtime member of Syrian Lodge 73, A.F. & A.M., and Ford Motor Company’s 500 Club, winning the coveted Top Hatters Award in 1961. His enjoyment was his family and people. He made a friend out of everyone he met. He also enjoyed flying at Twitchell’s Airport, boating, water skiing, snowmobiling, and, upon retirement, playing shuffleboard with his Arizona friends. He enjoyed traveling the country with Phyllis, visiting friends and places in their RV, making Apache Junction, Ariz., their winter home. He is survived by his wife, Phyllis, of 54 years; two daughters, Brenda and husband, Thomas Benner, of Auburn, and Catherine Wardwell-Hall and life partner, Rod Wilson, of Lewiston; a son, Steven and wife, Nancy, of Cashiers, N.C.; two grandsons, Jason Benner of Auburn and Andrew Hall of Lewiston; a granddaughter, Robin Dorman and husband, Steven, of Lexington Park, Md.; one great-grandchild, Benjamin Dorman of Lexington Park, Md.; two sisters, Jean Hodgkins and life partner, Jack Bray, of Norway, and Rita Bailey of Livermore Falls; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was predeceased by his parents; a brother-in-law, Alan Bailey; and a nephew, Michael Hodgkins. The family thanks the Androscoggin Home Care & Hospice team for the wonderful care they gave to him. -Lewiston, Maine Sun-Journal 05 January 2003

1. ↑ Lewiston, Maine Sun-Journal 05 January 2003.
2. ↑ Lewiston, Maine Sun-Journal 05 January 2003.