BANGOR – Visitation hours and funeral services have been scheduled for Somerset County Deputy Cpl. Eugene Cole, who was killed in the line of duty on April 25.

Visiting hours will be held on Sunday, May 6 from 4-7 p.m., at the Skowhegan Armory, 11 North School Street in Skowhegan. A celebration of Cpl. Cole’s life will be held on Monday, May 7 at 12 p.m., at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, with Chaplain Kevin Brooks officiating, according to the Smart and Edwards Funeral Home in Skowhegan.

A parking ban and road closures for Cpl. Cole’s wake at the Skowhegan Armory on May 6, are posted on The Town of Skowhegan’s website. North Avenue will be closed from the intersection of East Street through the intersection of East Dyer Street from 3-8:00 p.m. Residents of that area will be able to get to and from their homes. Law enforcement will park at the Skowhegan Fairgrounds. Civilians will park at Margaret Chase Smith School on Heselton Street. The walking trail from the school to the Armory has been cleared. KVCAP transportation services will assist with handicapped citizens.

On Monday, May 7, in Skowhegan, there will be a parking ban on Madison Avenue and Water Street from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Madison Avenue and Water Street will be closed to traffic from 10-10:30 a.m. as the procession bringing Cpl. Cole to his funeral in Bangor moves through town. The procession will come back through town (Water Street, Commercial Street and Madison Avenue) at approximately 4 p.m. to return Cpl. Cole to the Smart and Edwards Funeral Home. Traffic delays are expected, according to the town’s website.

Also on May 7, at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, doors will open at 8 a.m. for the memorial service and seating for the public will be on a first come basis.There will be security checkpoints, large handbags are discouraged and no weapons will be allowed, said The Maine Department of Public Safety in a news release.

The Cross Insurance Center’s website states to expect heavy traffic on Main Street near the Center and I-395 between 8-11:00 a.m. and 2:30-4:00 p.m. Also expect delays, an increase pedestrian traffic and frequent stoppage of traffic during the two noted time periods. Detailed road closures can be found on their website at www.crossinsurancecenter.com. 

Bangor Police have issued a traffic advisory for May 7 around the Cross Insurance Center and encourage motorists who are not attending the services, to find alternate routes away from the area. They added that there will be hundreds of police cars arriving for the services and traffic and parking will be a challenge.   

Governor Paul LePage has directed that all United States flags and State of Maine flags shall be flown at half-staff on the day of Corporal Cole’s funeral, Monday, May 7. Flags should return to full staff on Tuesday, May 8.

A memorial fund has been set up for Corporal Cole’s family. Memorial donations can be sent to:

The Corporal Eugene Cole Memorial Fund

c/o Bangor Savings Bank

113 Madison Avenue

Skowhegan, ME 04976

Reach Sarah Shepherd at news@penbaypilot.com