Obituary of Hubert R. Billings

Hubert Reynold Billings passed away peacefully at his home in Deer Isle surrounded by his family on November 21, 2024, with ninety well lived years of active life and public service to his
community.

Born in Deer Isle to Reynold Billings and Irene Gray Billings on November 29, 1933, Hubert, and his sister Connie Gray Cullinane were raised at his grandfather’s Ralph and Carrie Gray’s
homestead after losing their father Reynold at an early age of two due to tuberculosis. He spent his elementary grades in a one room schoolhouse in North Deer Isle and helped his teacher by
walking to school in the morning to get the wood stove going before his classmates arrived. He enjoyed learning, did well in school, and graduated from Deer Isle High School in 1952. He
enjoyed his friends, talked about walking to the Opera House to see movies and spent quality time with his paternal grandfather George Billings who took him sailing on the Billings Brother’s
coastal schooner business ferrying passengers, or cargo. As a kid, he also spent summer days and weekends working with Harry Annis’s trucking company bringing freight, food, and anything
else that made a paying load from Bangor to Deer Isle each day delivering to the many small general stores down the peninsular to Deer Isle and Stonington.

After graduation Hubert served during the Korean War and was in the first Armored Division of the US Army, stationed in New Jersey, North Carolina, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. Hubert
loved the military and was a proud veteran. He served his country for eight years, was a sharpshooter, drove heavy machinery, and later worked in the base administrative offices. He reluctantly left the service as his maternal grandmother who raised him was in poor health and he went home to take care of her after his grandfather Ralph’s passing because it was the right thing to do.

After coming home Hubert met his wife of 65 years Carol Ann Gross at the Legion Hall and they were married by Garfield Billings on November 9, 1959, at the old Armstrong place on the Lowe
Road. Hubert had a small camp next to his grandmother’s homestead which he kept building onto as he and his wife had more kids through the years. Hubert worked for many years for
Barter Lumber Company cutting wood, driving a transportation bus to Bangor, and oil truck. In 1965 he became a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier, a job he held until 1996. He was the mail
route watchdog and often could tell if someone had not been out of their home or had not been to the mailbox and went to check on his boxholders to make sure they were all right or sick and
needed anything. He and former Postmaster Wilfred Weed spent many years during the Christmas holidays taking in children’s letters to Santa and making sure they got a reply from Santa’s helpers, so they were not disappointed.

Hubert believed deeply in public service and was a natural leader and ran for Selectmen in Deer Isle. He had to give up the Selectmen’s seat when he joined the US Postal Service, who
did not allow employees to hold public offices at that time. But at the same time the State ofMaine mandated the Shoreland Protection Act, requiring each coastal town to appoint a Code
Enforcement Officer, a position he could do and held for 30 years.

Recognizing the Island had many community needs Hubert served on many organizations. He was a Mason, American Legion and Grange Member. He helped start and drove the original
Memorial Ambulance vehicle, help found and served on the Island Medical Center, helped facilitate bringing a bank to Deer Isle Village, initiated the Island Nursing Home and served as
Treasurer, was a long time DI-Stonington Historical Society board member and volunteer and a go to for Island history to mention a few of the many endeavors he participated in to help our
Island.

Hubert loved his tractors with his son Brian in their field mowing business. Hubert was a familiar sight to all in the summer driving his tractor on the road going from field to field for over 70
years. He started with doing fields for Harry Annis as a kid, then went on his own mowing. He loved cutting wood on his woodlots and stoking his wood stoves. He was an avid reader with his
daily newspaper and books he got from his children or the Deer Isle Library. He loved his gardens and helped his wife with canning vegetables or making pickles. It was a joy to him
starting his seedlings in the windows as a sign of Spring and the upcoming growing season. His favorite flowers to grow was sweet peas and he would pick them to put on the kitchen table
where he read every night.

He loved interacting with people on the Island, whether town business, mowing, caretaking, or getting to know new folks with his questions. Hubert believed in working hard and doing your
best. He didn’t mind lots of meetings for public good, but he made sure he took the time to take his kids riding on the tractor mowing, taking them camping and clamming on the Islands so they
could sell their clams to Doug and Barbara Hardy way back when to get money for the Blue Hill Fair. He tutored homework and taught life and home skills to his children. He loved getting his
lobsters and clams for the summer holidays for his family get togethers. He also loved having the Billings family Pig Roast, making his baked beans for it and spending time with his family
and friends.

Hubert/Dad will be missed and leaves a hard act to follow for the ninety years he was on this earth. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Carol Ann Billings, his children, Kathleen Billings,
Brian Billings and his life partner Patty Oliver, Eric and life partner W. Kirby Shelley, Amy Billings, half siblings Carolyn Stevens of Brooksville, Ralph Hardy of Deer Isle, nephews
Micheal Cullinane, Keene NH and Thomas Cullinane in NC, Francis Hardy and Roxanne of Deer Isle, Lisa Stevens in Fl, Karen Stevens, Brooksville and Andrea Stevens, Caymen
Islands, his cousins Arthur, Cyndi and Dana Billings from Deer Isle and special friend Mike Parenteau and Keryn Gottshalk, Deer Isle who he shared his caretaking duties with for Mr. Sussman, and Dr. Otto
Kernberg and his wife Kay who he loved to discuss the latest world events with.

A remembrance celebration will be held at the Calvary Chapel (former DI Grange Hall), 652 North Deer Isle Road on Saturday, Dec 14 from 12- 2PM. Donations in memory of Hubert may
be given to the Memorial Ambulance Corps, PO Box 387 Deer Isle, Maine 04627