Oliver P. “Pete” Doe, Jr., Lt. Col., USAF retired, of York, Maine, passed away on Nov. 14, 2021. He was born on Dec. 30, 1940, in Oak Park, Ill., the son of Oliver and Bernadette (Hunsanger) Doe, who preceded him in death.
After attending Quigley Preparatory Seminary in Chicago, he graduated from the University of Illinois in June 1963. He received his master’s degree from Troy State University. He spent 28 years in the U.S. Air Force, of which 11 years were on foreign soil, including one year in Vietnam. Most of his Air Force career was devoted to aircraft maintenance working with U-2, F-105, F-4, F-111E, and EF-111A aircraft. For four years of his career, he worked on the design and development of the Air Force’s first online data processing system for aircraft maintenance. He also headed the project to develop the ground processing system for data from the on-board system on the B-1 bomber. He took great pride in the fact that the developed system passed with flying colors the first time it was employed. As a squadron commander at Langley AFB, Virginia, he was deeply involved in the resurgence of the F100 engine repair operation. Beginning with eight F-15s without an engine installed, plus 24 additional engines in repair, the resurgence ended with no aircraft missing an engine and all but two engines ready for deployment. His last assignment at Pease AFB, in Portsmouth NH, involved the reconstruction of the aircraft flying schedule to shrink the flying window to 12 hours and the reduction of weekend work to a single weekend a month. He retired shortly after assisting in the closing of Pease AFB, where he was deputy base commander. He was later employed by Lear-Siegler to run the Aircraft Maintenance Operations Division of the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program at Sheppard AFB, in Wichita Falls, Texas. During his five years there, his division received the only “Outstanding” rating from the Training Command Inspector General. He returned to York, where he worked in the retail trade for two years before working at Hanscom AFB in Massachusetts, where he supported the fielding of the updated North American Air Defense data processing equipment and its sustainment for 10 years. He retired in December 2010.
His military decorations include: the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, the Presidential Unit Citation with “V” device, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with several oak leaf clusters and one “V” device, the Vietnam Service Medal with four bronze stars, and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm.
He is survived by his much better half, Judith (Lynch) of York, son, Douglas and wife Melinda (Floyd) of Edmond, Okla., daughter Kimberly Doe of Gorham, NH, grandchildren Carolina and Theodore Doe; brothers Frederick of Cape Verde, Ariz., and Charles and his wife Elaine (Carlson) Doe of Chicago, and a sister Bernadette (Thomas) Doerr.
He was a lifetime member of the American Legion and past commander of Ramsdell-Rogers Post 56 of York, Maine. He served as grand marshal of the York Memorial Day parade in 2018.
A graveside service with full military honors will be held at noon on Nov. 22, 2021, at Southern Maine Veterans Cemetery in Springvale, Maine. Memorial donations may be made to Post 56 of the American Legion at 647 Route One North, Ste. #6, York, Maine 03909-1651. For those interested in contacting the family, please send an email to Judith at jkdoe@maine.rr.com. The family is planning a celebration of life in the spring of 2022.
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Oliver P. "Pete" Doe Jr., please visit our floral store.