- Date Of Birth: June 18, 1924
- Date Of Death: May 26, 2013
- State: Maine
Robert Werner Roffler
June 18, 1924
May 26, 2013
North Yarmouth – Robert Werner Roffler, 88, of North Yarmouth died May 26, 2013 with his wife of 35 years by his side after a courageous battle with bladder cancer. Bob was born in Hartford, Connecticut on June 18, 1924 to Werner Roffler and Minnie Winar Roffler. He attended Hartford schools, graduating from William H. Hall High School.
Bob with many of his classmates enlisted in the armed forces right after graduation, transported by school bus with a rousing community send off. Bob was assigned to the 295th Engineer Battalion, part of the 1115 Engineer Combat Group. They landed on Omaha Beach on his birthday. Supporting the 29th Infantry Division, the 295th battalion helped to liberate Saint Lô, the first French town to be liberated by Allied Forces and went on to the Elbe River. Returning after the war Bob, like many WWII veterans attended college under the GI Bill, graduating from Babson College in 1953.
He moved to Kennebunkport, Maine in the late 1950s with his young family. He was employed as a pharmaceutical sales representative for most of his working career, but he also worked part time in areas of special interest to him. He opened an art gallery, “Seacliff Galleries” in Kennebunkport, selling mostly local artists; put on lobster bakes for companies such as Hussey Seating and an end-of-season bake for the casts of the Kennebunkport Playhouse; shipped lobsters throughout the U.S. through S.S. Pierce; and worked for the York County Coast Star newspaper.
In 1978, Bob married Carolyn Frary and they opened the “Cheshire Cheese”, a wine and gourmet store in the Old Port in Portland. In 1982 Bob was instrumental in the creation of the “Waterfront Preservation Association” formed with the idea of keeping it a working waterfront with fishermen and related businesses, to counter the city’s 64 Million dollar plan to develop condominiums, retail shops, office buildings and parking garages on the waterfront. He was an active and vocal participant in the civic life wherever he lived and an avid writer to “Letters to the Editor”, most notably the Portland Press Herald. He was also an enthusiastic fisherman and kept records of the when, where, type of lure and kind of fish he caught. One of his prize catches was a 35 lb. stripper caught in 1970 that he had registered as a member of “Maine Tackle Buster Club, Salt Water Sport Fishing”. He enjoyed playing several sports including Baseball (played semi-pro ball in CT), golf, and especially tennis from the age 10 to age 82 including a cherished and long-time group from the greater Portland area.
Bob is survived by his wife, Carolyn Frary Roffler, two daughters, Dana Roffler and Kymeth Eren Roffler Doyle and one granddaughter, Clancy Rose Doyle.
