Alice Bond, 96, featured in the Times Record on April 28 as the oldest resident of Woolwich, died June 22 at St. Andrews Village Nursing Facility after a short illness.
Alice was born as Alice Russell Willard in Hartford, Conn. on Jan. 15, 1920 to John C. Willard and Helen A. Willard of Wethersfield, Conn., where she spent her childhood. She graduated from Wethersfield High School in 1937, then went on to graduate from Teachers’ College of Connecticut in New Britain in 1941.
Alice taught elementary school both in East Windsor and Wethersfield until her marriage to Edwin Burnham Bond of Essex, Conn., her college sweetheart, in 1943. The couple settled in Guilford, Conn., where Alice worked first as a legal secretary and then worked helping the war effort at the Guilford branch of New Departure of Bristol, Conn. They had a daughter Carolyn Burnham Bond in 1946 and Nancy Willard Bond in 1951.
Edwin and Alice had the good fortune to acquire one of the first Volkswagen dealerships in the country in 1958, which they called Bond Volkswagen, located in Old Saybrook, Conn., which they owned for 18 years. During that period in their lives, the couple traveled often, with three trips to Europe and many more to Jamaica.
In 1974, Edwin and Alice followed their daughter Carolyn to Maine, where Edwin established Brunswick Cycles on Maine Street in Brunswick. They settled in Wiscasset. Alice worked for Coastal Enterprises for 15 years, retiring in 1990. An intelligent, educated, kind and independent woman, ahead of her time, Alice became active in the Wiscasset community, attending St. Philip’s Church, where she was secretary of the woman’s group.
An avid reader, she became an honorary member of the Wiscasset Library and a member of the Wiscasset Female Charitable Society.
In her later years, she sold her house and constructed an attached apartment to her daughter Nancy’s home in Woolwich, where she lived until her death.
Alice was predeceased by husband, Edwin; granddaughter, Courtney Michelle Gosline; and brothers, Charles and Chester Willard.
She is survived by daughters, Carolyn B. Davis of Lisbon Falls (spouse Harvey), and Nancy W. Gosline of Woolwich (spouse Phil); grandsons, Ian M. Davis of Baltimore, Md., and Justyn M. Gosline of Woolwich; granddaughter, Laura B. (Davis) Drown of Arundel (spouse Ty); and great-granddaughters, Lyla J. Drown and Lennon I. Drown. Alice was loved very much and will be missed.
Alice was buried on June 29 in Wethersfield, Conn., where her ancestors have been laid to rest since the 1600s. Her husband’s ashes were added to her casket. There was no service in Maine.
Donations may be made in Alice’s memory to the Lincoln County Animal Shelter to honor her love of cats: PO Box 7, Edgecomb, ME 04556; or Wiscasset Library to celebrate her love of reading: 21 High Street, Wiscasset, ME 04578.
