Obituary for Willard Farnsworth Colson
Southwest Harbor
Willard F. Colson, 100, went to be with the Lord on March 20, 2023, at his home in Southwest Harbor. Willard was born Jan 20, 1923, in Milbridge the son of Oscar W. and Venia B. (Farnsworth) Colson.
He grew up in Mogador and moved to Dyers Bay where he graduated Valedictorian. He enjoyed playing baseball and was a very good pitcher and third baseman. After high school he and his best friend Everard Fish would go to Arizona and work in the winter months. In 1943 he started working for Stinson Canning. In 1949 he served in the army until 1950, where he did his tour in Hawaii. Other than one interruption, where the company was shut down for the winter, where he worked for Southwest Boat Corp., he devoted 46 years as plant manager and VP of operations at Stinson Canning Company. He enjoyed the countless people he worked with and made so many longtime friends that continued to contact him for the rest of his life.
In 1950 he married Marion Fickett. They lived in Dyers Bay and Willard worked in Prospect Harbor. In 1954 they moved to Southwest Harbor, where they spent 58 of their 62 years together and raised three children. He was an avid hunter and fisherman and enjoyed his hunting trips out west with Charlie Stinson and a week in November at the Stinson hunting camp on Goodwin Siding. He had many interests: he was a member of the Pleiades Masonic Lodge, #173 A.F. & A.M. of Milbridge; enjoyed reading, where he was on the board of trustees for the Southwest Harbor Public Library, painting, bowling, motorcycling and watching the Red Sox and Patriots. He especially enjoyed going to Spring River Lake to his camp that he, his father, and Warren Workman built in 1960. He had a special group of friends that would come to his house on Monday mornings for breakfast. Willard was presented with the Boston Cane on March 15, 2022
Surviving are his two sons Peter and wife Cindy of Southwest Harbor and son Lee of Colorado Springs, CO.; a daughter Sarah Colson and husband, Clifford Dempster of Orford, N.H.; three grandsons, William of Winter Harbor Lucas of Orford N.H. and Wyatt of CA; three granddaughters Jessica Richardson and husband Chris of Lamoine, Julia of St. Paul, MN and Molly of CA.; a Cousin Kevin Dunning of Milbridge. He was predeceased by his parents and his devoted wife of 62 years Marion and his cousin, Phyllis Dunning.
A private graveside service will be held at the Steuben Cemetery, Steuben. In lieu of flowers please donate to the Southwest Harbor Public Library, P.O. Box 157, Southwest Harbor, ME. 04679.
Arrangements in care of Jordan-Fernald, 1139 Main St., Mt. Desert. Condolences may be expressed at www.jordanfernald.com
Willard F. Colson, 100, went to be with the Lord on March 20, 2023, at his home in Southwest Harbor. Willard was born Jan 20, 1923, in Milbridge the son of Oscar W. and Venia B. (Farnsworth) Colson.
He grew up in Mogador and moved to Dyers Bay where he graduated Valedictorian. He enjoyed playing baseball and was a very good pitcher and third baseman. After high school he and his best friend Everard Fish would go to Arizona and work in the winter months. In 1943 he started working for Stinson Canning. In 1949 he served in the army until 1950, where he did his tour in Hawaii. Other than one interruption, where the company was shut down for the winter, where he worked for Southwest Boat Corp., he devoted 46 years as plant manager and VP of operations at Stinson Canning Company. He enjoyed the countless people he worked with and made so many longtime friends that continued to contact him for the rest of his life.
In 1950 he married Marion Fickett. They lived in Dyers Bay and Willard worked in Prospect Harbor. In 1954 they moved to Southwest Harbor, where they spent 58 of their 62 years together and raised three children. He was an avid hunter and fisherman and enjoyed his hunting trips out west with Charlie Stinson and a week in November at the Stinson hunting camp on Goodwin Siding. He had many interests: he was a member of the Pleiades Masonic Lodge, #173 A.F. & A.M. of Milbridge; enjoyed reading, where he was on the board of trustees for the Southwest Harbor Public Library, painting, bowling, motorcycling and watching the Red Sox and Patriots. He especially enjoyed going to Spring River Lake to his camp that he, his father, and Warren Workman built in 1960. He had a special group of friends that would come to his house on Monday mornings for breakfast. Willard was presented with the Boston Cane on March 15, 2022
Surviving are his two sons Peter and wife Cindy of Southwest Harbor and son Lee of Colorado Springs, CO.; a daughter Sarah Colson and husband, Clifford Dempster of Orford, N.H.; three grandsons, William of Winter Harbor Lucas of Orford N.H. and Wyatt of CA; three granddaughters Jessica Richardson and husband Chris of Lamoine, Julia of St. Paul, MN and Molly of CA.; a Cousin Kevin Dunning of Milbridge. He was predeceased by his parents and his devoted wife of 62 years Marion and his cousin, Phyllis Dunning.
A private graveside service will be held at the Steuben Cemetery, Steuben. In lieu of flowers please donate to the Southwest Harbor Public Library, P.O. Box 157, Southwest Harbor, ME. 04679.
Arrangements in care of Jordan-Fernald, 1139 Main St., Mt. Desert. Condolences may be expressed at www.jordanfernald.com