Kenneth "Sarge" Sargent - age: 59
(January 09, 1955 to December 16, 2014
)
Resident of
Old Orchard Beach, Maine
Visitation Information:
Friends and family may call at the Dennett, Craig & Pate Funeral Home, 365 Main Street, Saco on Saturday December 20, 2014 from 2-4pm, followed by a memorial service. A celebration of life will take place from 5-8pm at the Ramada Inn, 352 North Street, Saco.
For those wishing to make memorial contributions in Sarge’s memory, please consider Multiple Sclerosis Resources of Central New York, Inc., P. O. Box 237, East Syracuse, NY 13057.
Obituary:
Kenneth Sargent, known to one and all as Sarge, died on Tuesday, December 16 in the arms of his beloved wife Cori at Seal Rock Health Care, following a long and courageous battle with cancer.
Sarge was born January 9, 1955 in Boston, the son of Claude M. and Agnes (Ducharme) Sargent. Following an exceptionally happy childhood spent with his three siblings, first in Medford, MA and subsequently in Billerica, MA, Sarge graduated from Shawsheen Regional Technical High School in Billerica in 1973 where he earned his Culinary/Chef Certificate.
Sarge’s love of cooking led to a series of restaurant and food service positions, including at Poncho’s Wreck in Wilmington, VT and LeMoyne College in upstate New York, before culminating in the fulfillment of a dream to open his own restaurant. Sarges’ Tailgate Grille in Saco opened its doors in August 2000. The restaurant was well known for its NASCAR theme and was a popular gathering place for NASCAR fans every Sunday during race season.
Sarge and Cori continued to operate the restaurant for 13 years, closing with a huge party for the “regulars” in August 2013 when Sarge could no longer do the cooking due to his illness.
Sarge loved NASCAR and traveled to racetracks around the country, often accompanied by Cori. The one exception was the June race in Pocono, PA that he attended for more than 25 years with his dad, brother, brothers-in-law and father-in-law. Many family legends emanated from those Pocono weekends.
A gregarious, outgoing, loving man with a wicked sense of humor, Sarge was everyone’s friend. And when he became your friend, he was a friend for life, as evidenced by his close relationships with his boyhood crew from Billerica that endured until his death.
As much as he loved cooking and entertaining his restaurant guests, his first love was Cori, whom he met in 1986 when both of them were working in Wilmington, VT. Sarge and Cori were married for 24 years and while they did not have children, they were beloved uncle and aunt to 14 nieces and nephews and 7 great nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his mother Agnes Sargent.
Sarge is survived by his wife Cori (Reagan), his father Skip and wife Dee of Bluffton, South Carolina; his brother Wayne and wife Caren of Kennebunk, sisters Carol Testa and husband Joe of Henniker, NH and Lorraine Sargent of Winter Haven, FL. He is also survived by mother-in-law Gloria Reagan of Syracuse, NY, father-in-law John Reagan of Old Orchard Beach, sister-in-law Kelly Reagan and brothers-in-law John and Patrick, all of upstate New York.
He will be sorely missed by scores of friends, customers who became friends and his much-loved 22-lb Maine Coon cat Newman, with whom he shared a unique and special bond.
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