THOMASTON – Waldo Harvell Ring, 99, died peacefully, Wednesday, January 24, 2018 at Quarry Hill in Camden.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, July 17, 1918, he was the son of Charles and Ethel Harvell Ring. When he was 3 months old, the family moved to Warren, Maine, where he grew up and attended Warren schools including high school.

In 1937 Waldo married Gladys Lindsey in Thomaston. They lived in Warren for three years before moving to Thomaston, where together they resided for their remaining years.

Waldo was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Corp during World War II. While he was being trained to go to Europe, his mother died, and they sent him home.  Later he returned to finish his training when the war in Europe ended.  At this point, Waldo start training again, this time for jungle warfare.  He went on to serve in the Pacific. If the war hadn’t ended when the atomic bomb was dropped, he would have been one to invade the Japanese homeland. He served during World War II until being honorably discharged in 1946.

For most of his life, Waldo worked in various shipyards.  Mainly he was employed at Snows which had many names over the years before being called Forty Fathoms.  He worked his way up, retiring as a supervisor at the Shipyard.

Following the death of his first wife in 1987, Waldo married Dora Williams in 1989. They enjoyed many years together until her passing in 2006.

He was a member of the American Legion in Thomaston where he once served as a Commander.

He has always enjoyed restoring antique cars and was a member of MOALS ‘Maine Obsolete Automobile League’, and ATOMS ‘Antique Treasures of Maine’.  His daughter said he could take a pile of rusty parts in a field and turn them into a beautifully restored car.  Each summer he could be seen driving his cars in both the Thomaston 4th of July and the Rockland Lobster Festival parades.  At one time he had six antique cars, which his grandkids looked forward to rides in when they came to visit. He often gave advice to others on their cars and had a supply of parts that he sold.

Traveling was another favorite pastime and he enjoyed many bus tours as well as trips in his own car.  A trip circling the United States was one of his favorites.

As his grandson was growing up he enjoyed watching NASCAR with him and talking about the race.

He was a quiet, private person who was honest to a fault, and always a hard worker. He had an ability to do anything. One of his proudest accomplishments was when he cut a barn in half, with a hand saw, hooked it to his homemade tractor, and turned it around so it was easier to drive into.  Anything that needed to be done around the house he could do. You never had to wonder what he was thinking. He had a great deal of self-discipline, always keeping himself in tip-top shape. He was a quiet person who often kept to himself, but when he spoke he had something of substance to talk about.

Predeceased by his brother William Ring, his sister Luella Ring Crockett; Waldo is survived by his daughter, Priscilla Barnes, and her husband, Paul, of Thomaston; his grandchildren, Paula Barnes Mark and her husband, Kevin, of Salt Lake City, Utah, Perry Barnes and his wife, Lauren, Karen Barnes Grierson and her husband, George, Brian Barnes and his wife, Rita, all of Thomaston; his great-grandchildren, Gregory Tripp and his wife Tiffany, Lauren Vega and her husband, Jesus, Allison Johnson and her husband, Steven, Brad Grierson and his wife, Joanna, Ryan Grierson and his wife, Meagan, and Alex Grierson and his wife, Schaeffer, Christopher and Daniel Barnes; and many great-great-grandchildren,

Family and friends are invited to visit from 3 to 5 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 1, 2018 at 104 Limerock, adjacent to the Burpee, Carpenter & Hutchins Funeral Home, Rockalnd.  A graveside committal service will be held in June.