Guild ‘Gus’ Tolman, obituary

Mon, 05/27/2019 - 9:00am

CAMDEN — Guild “Gus” Tolman, 91, of Camden, Maine, passed away on May 19, 2019, surrounded by family at the Sussman House in Rockport, Maine.

He was born to parents George S. Tolman Jr. and Ruth Guild Tolman, on June 4, 1927, in Quincy, Massachusetts. 

Guild grew up in Hanover, MA, and attended Hanover schools until he joined the United States Navy during World War II. He was stationed on the USS Midway as a seaman second class. After the war Guild completed his schooling and graduated from Bridgeton Academy in Bridgeton, Maine. 

Guild joined the workforce at United Shoe in Rockland, MA, where he worked in the machine shop. He then continued his welding career at Bethlehem Steel Shipyard in Quincy, MA.  He went on to work for D.S. Kennedy in Cohasset, MA, making radar antennas which allowed him to travel to places such as Iceland and Germany.  

On September 16, 1951 he married Mary Edith Davis of Rockland, MA. They built their first home on Cedar Street in Hanover, MA where they resided for 20 years while raising their family.

In 1970, he moved his family to Owl’s Head, Maine, where he started working as a metal fabricator at R & R Engineering. He continued welding in the Midcoast area working for Emil Rivers followed by F.J. O’Hara and Sons in Rockland, Maine, where he retired in June of 1992.

In 1995 he and his wife moved to the family homestead in Camden, Maine, where he resided for the remainder of his life.

Guild was a modest, kind, observant man with a great sense of curiosity about him. Being an avid reader of history he was always ready to converse about world and local events. His love of the outdoors was reflected in his interests in fishing, hunting, lobstering, camping, snowmobiling and harvesting wood. Guild also took great pride in being a volunteer fireman with the Hanover and Owl’s Head Fire departments.

A few of his most notable adventures that he achieved later in life were canoe camping on the St. John and Allagash Rivers with his sons; becoming a proud member of The Biggest Bucks in Maine Club; and participating in his first moose hunt at the age of eighty-nine.

His greatest joys in life were being with his family and his moments of solitude up in the field and wood lot.

Guild is survived by his wife of 67 years, Mary Edith Tolman of Camden, daughter Cheryl Tolman English of Thomaston, son Brian Tolman and wife Colleen of Warren, son Bruce Tolman and wife Susan of Camden, as well as three grandchildren Tim English, Erica Tolman, and Melanie Tolman, all of whom he was very proud of.

There will be a private celebration of life at a later date.

If you wish to share condolences, mail to: The Tolman Family, 518 Belfast Road, Camden, Maine 04843.

Memories and condolences may be shared at www.directcremationofmaine.com