Raymond A. Twarowski, 91, a long-time resident of Auburn died Tuesday, April 2, 2014 in Westerly, Rhode Island, following a brief illness.
Raymond was predeceased by his loving wife of 48 years, Doris (Perron) Twarowski, who died in 1995. He leaves his sister-in-law Mildred Devault and her husband Kenneth, of Oxford, as well as six nephews and a niece. He was also predeceased by two sisters, Victoria Laprade and Bella Ozimek.
He was born in Ipswich, MA, the son of Alexander Twarowski and Helen (Kosciemska) Twarowski, both of whom were born in Poland. The Twarowski family moved to Auburn when Raymond was 4. His father Alexander owned and operated the Red & White grocery store at the corner of Oxford and Boyce Streets in Auburn for many years.
Raymond enlisted in the Naval Air Corps in 1942 and served in the Pacific theater for the duration of WW II. He was assigned to the USS Hornet aircraft carrier, flying missions in Grumman Avenger Torpedo Bombers, seeing action in Iwo Jima, Guam, Saipan, Manila Bay, Tinian, and New Guinea. During a mission in 1944, his plane was shot down near the Bonin Islands and he survived afloat for 18 hours before being rescued. He was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal as well as the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service to the country.
Raymond worked for many years with the McCrillis & Keep Insurance Agency. He loved Auburn and provided countless hours of community service to the town. He was very active in the Auburn Historical Society for many years, and was a charter member of the Auburn Conservation Commission, serving for over 40 years. He served as a trustee of the Auburn Public Library and was active in the Rotary Club for many years. He was a founding member of the Century Sportsman’s Club and served as a firearms instructor for the Auburn Police Department. He was the recipient of the John E. and Ethel E. Riley Outstanding Citizenship Award in 1997 in recognition of his years of commitment and service to Auburn.
A talented artist, Ray was proud of the mural he created which was on display in the lobby of the Auburn Post Office for many years.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend visiting hours from 4-7 PM Wednesday April 9th, 2014 in the Britton-Wallace Funeral Home, 91 Central St. in Auburn. His funeral will be held on Thursday April 10th 2014 from the funeral home with a Mass celebrated at 10 AM at Saint Joseph’s Church, 189 Oxford St. North, Auburn. Burial with military honors will be in Hillside Cemetery, Auburn. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the charity of one’s choosing.