At the age of 92, Leonard Jennings “LJ” Dowdy Jr. died April 20, 2018 of natural causes in his home in Edgecomb where he lived with his wife, Shirley.

Born Feb. 6, 1926 in Dallas, Texas to Leonard J. Dowdy Sr. and Stella Wolfe, LJ Dowdy Jr. was schooled and lived in the town of Dallas until he reached the legal age to enlist in the United States Navy. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1947 as a signalman on board ships fighting with the Pacific Fleet taking part in the battle Leyte Gulf in the Philippines.

Following his honorable discharge, he ended up in Phoenix where he met and married his wife Shirley, a native of Boothbay Harbor Maine, who was working in the area at the time. Soon after, LJ moved back to Texas where he worked in several major cities in the commercial truck tire business. While a young man, LJ earned a private pilot license with the GI bill, and flew as a hobby. He and his wife had four children. LJ and his family moved to New England where he continued in the tire business until about 1980 when he and his wife opened the Edgecomb City General Store on Route 27.

The general store operated for five years until it started selling surplus military merchandise. At this point it grew into a much larger operation and ran until 2006 when LJ finally retired and lived at his home until his passing. During his life he was a devoted Christian and was a member of the Masonic Lodge in Dallas.

LJ is survived by his wife of 71 years, Shirley; sons, John of Houston, Texas, Stephen of Pittston, Maine, and Jeff of Whitefield, Maine; and one daughter, Janet James of Gray, Maine. He also leaves 12 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild.

Burial will be at the Veterans Cemetery in Augusta, Maine.