Wilfred Durgin, Sr. passed away on January 11, 2023, after a brief period of illness.  He was born on June 15, 1936, in Ashland. He was many things, and if he liked you he would give you the shirt off his back, and if he didn’t he didn’t hesitate to let you know that also. 

He was well known for his love of children and despite his desire to have an even dozen his wife scaled him back to just two, a son, Wilfred Jr., and a daughter, Diane.

When he felt his two oldest grandsons needed a better home environment he stepped up and got custody of them with his wife Estella. His other grandchildren were constantly at Poppa’s house, and he delighted in them.  He was a man of great drive who started off with very little, being raised by his aunt. 

As a young man he was often called Willy, and until he was older, he didn’t realize that his first name was actually Joseph. To make things easier he changed his name to Wilfred Joseph. He served in the US Army and spent time in Germany.  When he returned home, he pursued a career in automotive, working for several local garages and Dalphonds Lumber, before going out on his own. 

For many years he owned the service station in the center of Andover where JJ’s Market is now.  In 1978 he sold the service station to start his own garage and used auto dealership on Plains Road.  He also had wrecker service and ran the whole business under the name of Durgin Services. 

Being civic minded he donated the first police cruiser to the town of Andover.  A skilled mechanic, he was a big believer in selling American made vehicles, especially those produced by the Chrysler corporation.  

He owned many vehicles over the years, including a Mustang and a Model A.  He also enjoyed playing on equipment and owned several John Deere crawlers and multiple tractors.  In the early 2000s he started to wind his business down to spend more time with Stella, but he still took time to take care of long-time customers.

Wilfred was predeceased by his wife Estella Durgin (Rollins), many half-brothers, and his grandson Robert Miller.  He is survived by his sister Emma Richardson (Burgess), his son Wilfred Durgin Junior, his grandsons: Maurice and Zachary St. Jacques, Maurice’s daughter Melody, his daughter Diana Miller (Durgin) and her husband Jeffrey Miller, and their sons Michael and Brenden Miller.

Friends may call at the Chadwick Funeral Home, 235 Main Street, New London, on Wednesday, January 18, 2023, from 5 to 7 PM.  A graveside service will be held in Lakeside Cemetery, East Andover, in the spring. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Andover EMS, PO Box 61, Andover NH  03216.