Benjamin Morrill Giles Jr., 85, of China, died peacefully on March 29 at the Maine Veterans’ Home after a brief stay.
Born on Jan. 6, 1925 in Boothbay Harbor, he was the 10th of 12 children and the youngest son of Benjamin M. Giles Sr. and Nettie Rowe Giles.
Benjamin attended Boothbay Harbor schools, graduating from Boothbay Harbor High School in 1943 and from the Industrial Technical School of Boston in 1949. He served in the Detachment Medical Department of the 68th field hospital in the Pacific Theater as a Medical Technician during WWII. Benjamin was awarded the Asiatic Theater Medal, the World War Two Victory Medal, the American Defense Theater Medal and the Good Conduct Medal for his service. Ben worked at Bath Iron Works building a fleet of French fishing boats right after the war. He worked at the VA Center at Togus, first in the greenhouse where he developed his lifelong appreciation of plants and landscaping. He then accepted a position in engineering and later developed the biomedical department. He was also a licensed master electrician until he was 75 years of age.
Ben was a member of the Order of the Knights of Pythias as a younger man. He was very involved with the Boy Scouts of America along with his two sons, serving as assistant scoutmaster for the China Troop 479. Ben retired from the VA in 1984 and traveled with his wife and family to many interesting destinations and spent many hours on his boat, both on the coast and at his home in China Lake.
He and his wife both bowled on the Togus league and also belonged to an area square dance club.
He was predeceased by his wife; brothers, Lermond, Drummond, Robert and Harbold; and sisters, Leta, Lavinia, Iva, Audrey (Cleo) and Peggy (Natalie).
Ben is survived by his five children, Stephen H. Giles and wife Kathy of Bath, Crystal G. Dow and husband James of China, Diane G. Berliner and husband Jim of Los Angeles, Cal., Linda G. McCabe and husband John of Candia, N.H. and Benjamin M. Giles III and friend Lynne Hart of Oakland, N.J. and Colorado; grandchildren, Carolyn Giles of Portland, Samuel and William Giles of Bath, Jessica Vear and partner Jesse of Portland, Eleanora French of China, David Berliner of Boston, Mass., Carolyn and Lauren Berliner of Los Angeles and Chantel and Lucas McCabe of Candia, N.H.; sisters, Elizabeth G. Richardson of West Bath and Patricia G. Adams and husband Robert of Boothbay Harbor; brother-in-law, Merle Hathorne of York; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Memorial service celebrating Benjamin’s life 1 p.m., Mon., April 12 at the Highland Ave. Methodist Church in Gardiner with the Rev. Jinyong Choi and Rev. Constance Wells officiating. Reception will follow at the Church hall. Committal at the Veterans’ Cemetery will take place 10 a.m., Mon., Aug. 16 with military honors.
Donations may be made to the Spectrum Generations, Adult Day Care Center at the Muskie Center, 38 Gold St., Waterville, ME 04901 or the China Boy Scouts of America, Troop 470, c/o Scoutmaster Scott Adams.
