Gerald Sylvester

Gerlad Sylvester was born in Clinton on Oct. 17, 1924, the son of Frank Sylvester and Alice McKenny Sylvester Mailman.

He attended Clinton schools and went on to assist relatives who managed the J.C. Grant & Son Canning Co. in Clinton. When the plant closed, he went to work for a canning company in Starks. Later, Gerald went to work at Dick's Market in Clinton, where he became a well-known and respected meat-cutter. 

Gerald was also a highly respected and well-known law enforcement officer for the town of Clinton and the Kennebec County Sheriff's Department. He was chief of police in Clinton for nearly 40 years, retiring in 1989 after suffering a massive stroke. Fellow police officers in the area always turned to Gerald to assist them in solving crimes.

Gerald was past president of the Clinton Police Association and the Kennebec Law Enforcement Association. He was past commander of Post 186, American Legion, in Clinton, and a member of the Fairfield Veterans of Foreign Wars.

He was also a sergeant in the Army, stationed in Germany, where he managed the Non-Commissioned Officers club. Gerald met his wife in Germany where they married in 1947. Her first name was “Adelheid,” but she adopted the name “Susie” when she came to this country. Gerald and Susie had four children, Gerry, Jimmy, Judy and Robin.

Gerald passed away on Friday, July 15, 2005, at the Maine Veterans' Home in Augusta at the age of 80 after a long illness.