John D. Chester, 84, died peacefully on Jan. 16, 2015 at Clover Manor in Auburn.

He was born in Queens, New York City on Nov. 11, 1930, the son of William F. and Jeannette Dowden Chester. As a boy, John enjoyed many summers staying with his Aunt Emma and Uncle Bill Fischer and cousins in Lake Hapatcong, New Jersey.

He graduated from Arlington Academy in Arlington, Vermont in 1948. John served four years with the USAF 20th Air Division and was a B-29 bomber aircraft crew member. A Korean War veteran, he received the Korean War Service Medal and five battle stars.

John married Jane Teresa Mullen on April 24, 1954 at Saint Bernard’s Church in Rockland. In 1955, John enlisted in the Maine State Police and was a graduate of the Maine State Police Training Academy. He was first assigned to patrol duties as a State Trooper in the South Berwick, Berwick, North Berwick and Eliot areas, and later was assigned to patrol Wiscasset, Boothbay Harbor, Boothbay, Edgecomb, Southport, Westport and Whitefield areas.

In 1967 he was promoted to sergeant and made a supervisor in the Communications Bureau at State Police Headquarters in Augusta. He was next promoted to assistant planning and research officer. He was an instructor at the Maine State Police Academy, where he taught accident investigation for 12 years.

He is the author of the first Maine State Police Department fatal accident investigation manual. 

John retired from the Maine State Police in 1975. He later worked for the Boothbay Harbor Police Department and the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Department, where he was the communications supervisor and court officer. John spent a total of 29 years in law enforcement.

He was later employed at Brunswick Naval Air Station, where he worked for 16 years as an occupational safety and health specialist. He traveled to East Coast Naval air bases plus bases in Portugal, Puerto Rico and Bermuda for safety and health inspections of naval aircraft facilities.

While employed at BNAS, John received the Sustained Superior Performance Award for the work he did at BNAS and other naval air bases.

For many years, John was a freelance writer for local newspapers. He is the author of Wiscasset’s Town Cannon Manual, a history of their Civil War Era Cannon that is proudly displayed next to the Veteran’s Memorial in Wiscasset.

In 2004, John receive the first Golden Resolution Award from the town manager and board of selectmen, in honor and recognition for the volunteer work he did for the town of Wiscasset for 45 years.

John also enjoyed reading, oil painting pictures of the coast and sailing ships, and landscape design, including building rock walls. He was known for the beautiful landscaping at his Wiscasset home, where he lived for 42 years with his loving wife, Jane. He also enjoyed spending time at home with his wife, their dog Joey and his children and grandchildren.

John is survived by his son, John R. Chester of San Diego, California; his son, Michael Chester and family of Bristol, Rhode Island; his daughter, Jeannette and husband John Fusaro and grandchildren Jacob, Joseph and Julia Fusaro, all of Lisbon; and his daughter, Susan Chester of Lafayette, Indiana; as well as nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by his wife, Jane Chester, his brother William Chester of Oregon and his brother Steve Chester of New Mexico.

Visitation will be held at the Albert & Burpee Funeral Home in Lewiston on Thursday, Jan. 22 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., with services at Holy Family Church at11 a.m.

Interment will be in the spring at Mount Hope Cemetery, Lewiston. Flowers are welcome, or donations may be made in his memory to the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation, Inc., 10301 McKinstry Mill Road, New Windsor, MD 21776-7903, or Androscoggin Home Care & Hospice, 15 Strawberry Ave., Lewiston, ME 04240.

Condolences, donations and a video tribute may be accessed online at www.albert-burpee.com.