MARSHFIELD - Elmer K. Gorham, Jr., 95, of Marshfield, Mass. passed away peacefully in the home he built and where he raised his family on Monday, April 15, surrounded by loved ones.

Called "Al" by his brothers and sisters, "Ham" by family and friends, "Dad" by his children and "Papa" by his grand and great-grandchildren, Elmer was the quintessential strong, silent type - chivalrous, soft-spoken, warm, humble and blessed in youth with movie star good looks.

He enjoyed many things in life, fishing, boating, traveling, the beach, woodworking and woodcarving, the Boston Red Sox or the New England Patriots, various sweets and a good pineapple upside down cake (he would often express his disdain for vegetables); but none could compete with the devotion he had to his wife of 65 years, Evelyn Kitson Gorham, who passed away in 2013.

Elmer first met his "dream girl" in 1940-1941 after she transferred to Braintree High School from North Quincy, thus starting a love affair that would put Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward to shame and span more than half a century. Since their courtship began, Elmer and Evelyn rarely left each other's side.

Some of Elmer's fondest memories were of the two square-dancing with friends, memories he would revisit often in recent years. The pair traveled from Jamaica to Rome, Greece to national parks like Yellowstone, and seemingly everywhere in-between while they built their life together and lovingly raised their family.

Elmer was a proud U.S. Marine Corps and World War II veteran. He served in the Pacific area of operations aboard the USS Block Island during the war, most notably during the Balikpapan and Okinawa campaigns. He served again as a staff sergeant during the Korean War, though he did not deploy overseas.

Elmer worked as a self-employed carpenter for many years. He went on to share that knowledge of carpentry and building in a decade of teaching for the South Shore Vocational Technical High School. A modest yet highly-skilled bird carver, he would often surprise family and friends with magnificent creations he concocted painstakingly in his basement workshop.

Elmer will be fondly remembered as strong-willed and tough as nails. Once he had decided to do something, there was no dissuading him. He was independent until the very end, an uncomplicated man who lived an extraordinary life. Even though he lost his father Elmer Sr. at a young age, fought in a world war, beat cancer twice and survived a brain aneurysm at the age of 84, he was delicate and caring when it came to his wife and family. After Evelyn passed, he enjoyed cataloguing their photos and memories together.

Elmer had a deep love for his family. He is survived by his children, Sandra Burke of Pembroke, Bruce Gorham and his wife Cathy of Marshfield; grandchildren Matthew Burke and his wife Naoko of Okinawa Japan, Jeffrey Gorham and his wife Jessica of East Bridgewater, Stephanie Smith and her husband Gerry of Canton and Gregory Gorham of Watertown; great-grandchildren, Lilly Ann, Genki Elmer, and Gakuto; his brother Jack Gorham and his wife Barbara of Weymouth, sister Claire Cleggett and her husband William of Braintree and sister-in-law Elizabeth Kitson of Pembroke.

Visitation is scheduled for Friday, April 19, 2019 from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m., with a funeral service to follow immediately at the MacDonald Funeral Home, 1755 Ocean Street in Marshfield. Burial with military honors will follow the service at Couch Cemetery in Marshfield. Memorial donations can be made to the Hospice of the South Shore, 30 Reservoir Park Drive, Rockland, MA 02370. For online guest book and driving directions, please visit the website macdonaldfuneralhome.com.