Augustus
“Gus” J. DeGuise Jr., 75, left this world quietly on Friday,
August 9, 2024, at his home in Colchester, Vt., after a brief battle
with cancer.
Gus
was born on September 11, 1948, the son of Augustus J. Sr. and Hilda
M. (Brissette) DeGuise of Burlington, Vt. He was the oldest of six
children. Gus grew up in Burlington, attended Burlington schools
throughout his childhood and graduated from Burlington High School in
1966. He went on to serve in the U.S. Army and was deployed to
Vietnam in 1969 as a fixed ciphony communications specialist with
Headquarters Phu Lam Signal Battalion. He was awarded the National
Defense Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal and Vietnam Service
Medal for his meritorious service in Vietnam. When Gus returned home,
he attended Vermont Technical College and graduated with an
associate’s in engineering technology. Shortly thereafter he
started working for IBM, where he worked until he retired.
He
was a lover of music, history, and playing sports as a teenager and
as an adult. He had many hobbies into his final years, including
collecting his hot rods; building model cars, planes and ships; and
passing his love of learning on to his children and grandchildren.
Gus would take any opportunity to talk about his passions in life,
bestowing his knowledge on others.
He
is survived by his children, Augustus J. DeGuise III, Melissa E.
DeGuise and Jennifer E. DeGuise; and four wonderful grandchildren,
Jacob N. DeGuise, Theodore W. Hendershot, Vivian T. Hendershot and
Elias J. DeGuise.
Along
with his parents, he was predeceased by his brother Wayne J. DeGuise
and his sister Linda L. Mansfield.
Visitation
will be held on Friday, August 23, 2024, 5 to 7 p.m., at Elmwood
Meunier Funeral Home, 97 Elmwood Ave., Burlington. A mass of
Christian burial will be celebrated on Saturday, August 24, 2024, 10
a.m., at St. Joseph Cathedral, Allen St., Burlington. Interment with
military honors will follow in Mt. Calvary Cemetery Annex, Pomeroy
St., Burlington.
This article appears in Aug 14-20, 2024.