Eugene C. Roaf, 93

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — Eugene "Gene" C. Roaf, 93, of Punta Gorda, passed away suddenly at his home on Aug. 2, 2019.

A memorial service took place at the First United Methodist Church in Punta Gorda on Aug. 9. A New Hampshire memorial service will take place at the N.H. State Veterans' Cemetery, 110 Daniel Webster Highway, Route 3, Boscawen, NH 03303, on Thursday, Aug. 29, at 3 p.m.

Gene was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts, on Jan. 7, 1926.

Gene was married to Mary Ellen Hitchcock on July 7, 1946.They were married for 73 years.

He graduated from Newburyport High School and served our country in the U.S. Navy. Gene was a plane captain, maintaining a single Corsair fighter aboard the carrier USS Bennington during the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa in World War II. He served as a seaman 1st class and as part of the Essex class carrier’s deck crew and part of task force 58.1, experiencing several close calls during the battles. After the war and the travel home, Gene was discharged from the Navy three days later.

Gene went to work at Towle Silver in Newburyport, Massachusetts, then worked as a truck driver. His last 20 years plus in the job market, he worked as a salesman.

He and his wife resided in Newburyport and, in 1975, they moved to Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire and then, in 1998, after he retired, moved to their home in Punta Gorda Isles.

Gene is survived by his wife, Mary Ellen Roaf; brothers Gordon and Dennis; sister Lorraine; children Eugene Roaf and his wife, Sandy, of Hampton, and Bruce Roaf and his wife, Christine, of Hampton; nephew David and his wife, Tara, and their two daughters, Sadie and Sophia; four grandchildren, E.J., Sean, Erik and Amy; seven great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandson; and many other nieces and nephews.

Gene is preceded in death by parents Gene and Sylvia; brother Donald and his wife, Lucille; and Richard Roaf.

Gene and Mary were members of the First United Methodist Church. He was a lifetime member of the Neptune 8 in Newburyport and the BPOE Elks Punta Gorda Lodge 2606.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be sent to the United Methodist Church, 507 W. Marion Ave., Punta Gorda, FL 33950; or New Hampshire Veterans Cemetery Association, PO Box 626, Concord, NH 03302-0626.