Gilles E. Auger Obituary (2016)

SANFORD-Gilles Edouard Auger, 81, of Sanford passed away at his home Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016, surrounded by his family from complications of Multiple Myeloma. Born at home on Highland Avenue on April 24, 1935, he was the son of Lucien and Yvonne (Garneau) Auger. He attended Catholic schools including Holy Family, St. Ignatius, the Notre Dame Institute in Alfred, graduating from St. Ignatius High School in 1952. He attended Dirigo Boys State in 1951. Gilles was the first in his family to attend college, earning a B.A. in French from the University of Maine at Orono in 1956. He then taught at Lubec High School from 1956-57. In 1957 he taught at Gould Academy and coached both the school's cross-country and downhill ski teams. While at Gould Academy, he joined the U.S. Army Reserves. Gilles was later awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, earning his Diplome from the Sorbonne in Paris, France, as well as a Masters in Education from UMO in 1960.Gilles went back to his hometown, teaching French at Sanford High School from 1960 to 1963. He left SHS to become Assistant Professor of French at Nasson College from 1963 to 1979. He spent the rest of his career at the Department of Human Services, retiring in 1997 where he made countless friends and was well-known for his sense of humor. Upon retiring he and his wife enjoyed spending six winters in Pompano Beach, Florida. Gilles was very active in his beloved hometown. He served on the Board of Voter Registration in 1962, eventually becoming the Voter Registrar, registering thousands of residents and coordinating Sanford's elections for 44 years. At the same time, he served as Town Moderator from 1960-1977 and again for another ten years, retiring in 2003. That same year he was given Maine's highest honor for civic achievement in voter registration, the Lorraine Fleury Award. Gilles was a board member of the Goodall Library, the Sanford Historical Committee, the first president of the St. Ignatius Parish Council, a founding member of both the York County Teacher's Federal Credit Union and the Sanford-Springvale Historical Society. He was a 50 year + Third Degree member of the Knights of Columbus, George E. Poirier Council in Springvale, and a Fourth Degree member of the W. Robert Batchelder Assembly in Sanford. He was also a Life Member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Gilles was very active politically for many years. He was an excellent golfer, photographer, numismatist, philatelist and accomplished genealogist, specializing in Franco-American heritage. He was a member of the American-Canadian Genealogical Society of Manchester, NH, and the Franco-American Genealogical Society of York County. He was a lifelong Red Sox and Montreal Canadiens fan. Gilles was also a voracious reader. In 2003, the Maine Legislature inducted he and his wife Claire into the Maine Franco-American Hall of Fame. Gilles was predeceased by his sister Laurette Gould and brothers Andre and George Auger. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Claire (Lafrance) Auger. Gilles is survived by four children, Celeste Auger-Munshi and her husband Rajiv Munshi of Coral Springs, Florida, and their sons Munjal (wife, Sharanya) of San Jose, CA, and Mithil of San Mateo, CA; Paul Auger and his children Alyssa and Andrew; Daniel Auger and his son Gabriel; and son Peter Auger, all of Sanford, sister in law, Nancy Auger, brother in law, Roland Landry. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews, cousins and dear friends.The family is especially indebted to Dr. Can Ilyas and Dr. John McGuckin as well as the Hospice of Southern Maine for their compassionate care. Visiting hours will be on Sunday, Nov. 13, from 4 to 7 PM at the Lafrance-Lambert & Black Funeral Home, 29 Winter Street, Sanford, Maine. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday at 10 AM at St. Therse of Lisieux Parish, Holy Family Church, 66 North Ave, Sanford. Burial will be at a later date at St. Ignatius Cemetery in Sanford. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory to: St. Thomas School Scholarship Fund, 69 North Ave., Sanford, Maine 04073.Condolences may be expressed at www.blackfuneralhomes.com.