Robert SHAP Eliot Shapleigh
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Robert Eliot Shapleigh ('Shap'), of Alton, New Hampshire, passed away peacefully on the evening of August 28, 2019, with family by his side.
Robert grew up in Eliot, Maine, graduating from Eliot High School in 1955. He served six months in the U.S. Army reserves. He then worked as a bricklayer for E.A. Ricci Construction in Portsmouth, NH. He was also a volunteer fire fighter for the town of Eliot, Maine.
In 1962, he married Sheila Ann Robinson, and together they shared 57 years of marriage.
Many will remember him as the owner and operator of the Edgewood Restaurant in Alton, NH, from the mid-seventies to mid-eighties. During the winter months, he worked at Pease Air Force Base in maintenance and clearing the runways for air traffic. Before that he owned and operated The Country Store in Lebanon, Maine. After retiring from business, he continued to work at Pease Air Force Base until it's closure in 1990. He later retired from the Oyster River School District where he worked as a custodian.
He was proud to be a member of the Free & Accepted Masons and the Shriners. He was raised on November 17, 1965, in his home lodge, Naval Lodge No. 184, in Kittery, Maine. He became a Shriner in April of 1967, belonging to both the Kora and Bektash Temples. He was actively involved in the Bektash Mini-Kar Patrol, participating in numerous parades over the years to raise money for the Shriners Hospital for Children.
He was predeceased by his parents, George E. Shapleigh and Eunice C. (Cole), and his sister Christine (Shapleigh) Bilodeau. Loved ones he leaves behind include his wife, Sheila A. (Robinson) Shapleigh; his brother Richard W. Shapleigh, Sr.; his three daughters, Leslie Jackson, Jennifer Shapleigh, and Cydney Shapleigh; his grandchildren Jonathan Douglas and his wife Ashley, Caitlin Wentworth and her partner Ryan, Andrew Jackson, Timothy Douglas, and Matthew Johnson; his great-grandchildren Harley Hook, Austin Douglas, and Brandon Douglas; his many nieces and nephews; along with his many friends.
Our sincere appreciation goes to all the wonderfully kind hospice caregivers at Lakes Region VNA who were so gentle and supportive throughout his last days.
Calling hours will be on Thursday, September 5, 2019, from 4-7 at Edgerly Funeral Home in Rochester, NH. A funeral service will be held on Friday, September 6, at the Eliot United Methodist Church, 238 Harold L. Dow Hwy, Rte. 236, in Eliot, Maine, followed by burial at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery on State Road in Eliot.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Shriners Hospitals for Children, 516 Carew St., Springfield, MA, 01104.