ST. JOHNSBURY – Glenn Carroll Ailes Jr., 92, of St. Johnsbury, passed peacefully on May 17, at the St. Johnsbury Health and Rehab Center following a brief illness.
He was born in St. Johnsbury, January 29, 1933, to Glenn C. and Martha (Paquin) Ailes.
Glenn was predeceased by the love of his life Barbara Elizabeth (Stone) Ailes in 2019 after almost 60 years of marriage. Glenn and Barbara were married on September 6, 1959, and made homes and connections in Cabot, West Danville, and St. Johnsbury.
In Glenn’s youth he attended schools in Waterford and Danville, then graduated from the St. Johnsbury Trade School in 1953. He enjoyed being a 4-H member, winning a trip in 1949 for the “most outstanding boy in helpfulness”, and was a leader of the Danville Green Pioneers in 1950.
That community spirit was further realized in serving on the executive committee of the Danville Grange No. 520 in the 1950s and in his devotion to lending a helping hand at the churches he attended. He was an active and long-time member of the Danville Congregational Church for many years, and later a member of the West Danville Methodist Church.
Glenn served two years in the U.S. Army and later in the Lyndonville unit of the Vermont National Guard.
He was always a jack-of-all trades. His career spanned a lifetime of dedication and hard work. In the early years he worked in farming and in the logging trade with his father, whom he recently stated was the “best boss he ever had.” For some years he delighted in being the friendly custodian at the Cabot School; being the groundskeeper for Cabot cemeteries; and on a big venture for both Glenn and Barbara, they owned and operated the Spooner’s Campground in Marshfield for a time, but most of Glenn’s career was spent in the trucking business. Many of those years were trucking for Cabot Creamery. He traveled endless miles and drove for endless hours at a time, always getting his load where it needed to go. For a number of years, he was sought after to change the starters for other truckers who were stuck on the road. A job that had him lying under a truck on the side of the road in all weather conditions.
When Glenn wasn’t on the job, he loved nothing more than spending time in his wood shop. As a gifted craftsman, he made many gifts to give and to sell.
Glenn, or Bud as he was known to much of his family, will be remembered as a tease and a character, with a generous and most loving heart. He will be greatly missed.
Glenn is survived by his cherished niece and nephew-in-law, Becky (Stone) and Richard Degreenia of Walden; great-nieces Jasmine and Jessica Hubbard, and Edythe and Miranda Degreenia; sister-in-law Ida Stone; two nephews, Howard Stone and wife Heather, of Sheffield and Jay Stone and wife Kim, of Newark; three great-great nieces and nephews, Brandy and Bailey Clark and Howard Stone; along with a close cousin Deborah Marrier, and numerous loved cousins.
Besides his parents and wife Barbara, Glenn was predeceased by many aunts, uncles and cousins.
Visitation with Glenn’s family will be held Saturday, May 31, from 1 to 2 p.m., at Sayles Funeral Home, 525 Summer St., St Johnsbury. A graveside funeral service with Military Honors will follow at 2:30 p.m. at the Cabot Plains Cemetery, 1719 Cabot Plains Rd., Cabot.
In lieu of flowers the family is asking that donations be made to your local 4-H Group or county office.
Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at CaledoniaLifeServices.com
