Cecile Almira (Bilter) Sanborn
2007-12-07
Cecile Almira (Bilter) Sanborn, 74, died at her home on Friday, November 2, following a long illness.
She was born in Skowhegan on May 11, 1933, a daughter of John F. Bilter and Lena Mae (Cobb) Bilter. As a young child, she was raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Portland. Her family then moved to Gray, where she graduated from Pennell High School in 1951.
She joined the Air Force soon after graduation. After a short term in the military, she returned to Maine, where she worked as a waitress. She married Raymond W. Sanborn on Aug. 23, 1958, in Portland. She spent the remainder of her years as a dedicated homemaker and mother.
The couple began their lives together in Portland. They later returned to Gray, where they raised six daughters. Later in life, they also lived in Sheridan, Wyo., and Topsham. They finally settled down in Richmond in 1991
She was known for her quick wit and sense of humor. She was an accomplished cook who made holiday meals and family gatherings a source of wonderful memories. She was also a "master cribbage player" and trivia buff. She enjoyed raising exotic fowl. She will be remembered as a strong, proud and loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.
Surviving are her husband; six daughters, Sheril Lillard, Kaye Bouchard, Cynthia Sanborn, Lori Woods, Cecile Greenman, and Rae Hoskins; 13 grandchildren, Joseph, Bethany, Sarah, John, Israel, Kendra, Bridget, Dylan, Ryan, Joshua, Blaine, Shelby and Bradley; and 11 great-grandchildren.
She was predeceased by two infant sons, Michael Sanborn and John Sanborn; and an infant grandson, Willie.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Fisher House Foundation, an organization that helps injured veterans and their families. Donations can be made on their Web site, www.fisherhouse.org, or mailed to the Fisher House Foundation Inc., 1401 Rockville Pike, Suite 600, Rockville, MD 20852.
Jon E. Barton
2006-08-18
Jon E. Barton, of Shaker Road in Gray, died August 10 in his home after a courageous battle with cancer.
Born in Portland on June 20, 1935, the son of Erwin E. and Elizabeth (Merrill) Barton, he attended schools in Westbrook and graduated from Westbrook High School in 1953.
On September 3, 1955, he married Jane N. Pollard of Gray. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last year.
He retired from DOT State of Maine after 41 years of service.
Jon joined the Gray Fire Department in 1959 and had 47 years of service. He became Fire Chief in 1987 and served until present. He was responsible for the merger of the Gray Fire Department and Rescue team together under one roof in 1993. He was very active with the New England Association of Fire Chiefs and served as President from 2004 until 2005. He was a member of the Coastal Mutual Aid Chiefs Association, past president of the Cumberland County Chiefs Association, as well as the Maine Fire Chiefs Association. He was a strong advocate of the Juvenile Fire Setters Program and has a scholarship named in his honor.
He was a member of the Masons Cumberland Lodge #12 of New Gloucester and past worthy patron of Order of Eastern Star #114 of New Gloucester. He was past Chairman of the SAD #15 School Board. He was a coach of his sons' Gray Little League and Babe Ruth baseball teams. He was also a Cub Scout Master of Pack 86 for many years.
He was predeceased by his mother Elizabeth in 1984 and his father Erwin in 2003.
He is survived by his wife Jane; three sons, Brian M. Barton of Poland, Craig W. Barton and wife Brenda of Gray, Timothy J. Barton of Gray and a daughter Kimberly J. (Barton) Hendry and husband Stephen of Chandler, Arizona; 6 grandchildren, Sarah, Amanda, Scott and Ryan all of Gray, and Aiden and Ethan of Chandler, Arizona.
A memorial service was held on Wednesday at the Gray Public Safety Building, with Reverend Douglas Hedstrom officiating. Arrangements were under the care of Wilson Funeral Home, Gray.
Memorial donations may be made to Gray Fire & Rescue 125 Shaker Road Gray, Maine 04039
Joseph O. Beote
2006-08-18
Joseph Onesime Beote, of Yarmouth, died August 11. He was the father of Joseph P. Beote, of Gray.
He was born in Yarmouth on August 19, 1928, a son of Emmanuel and M. Fidelis (Perry) Beote. He was educated in Yarmouth schools.
He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, and was a sergeant in the 5th Regimental Combat Team, Company G, from December of 1950 to November of 1952. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for Meritorious Achievement in Ground Operations.
Mr. Beote was dedicated to his family and his work. He enjoyed woodworking, camping, fishing, clamming and family gatherings.
Joe is survived by his wife of 49 years, Dorothy E. (Sullivan) Beote; his son Joseph P. Beote and his wife Rebecca and their children Joseph and Rachael, of Gray; his son Sean M. Beote, his sons Conor and Brendon and their mother Susan Abel, of North Yarmouth, and his fiancee Debra Hersey and her children Jesse and Megan Hersey; his daughter Carrie E. (Beote) Gianattasio and her husband and their sons Dominic and Dante, of North Yarmouth; and sisters M. Fidelis (Beote) Baldwin, of Brunswick, and Eunice (Beote) Verrill, of Topsham. He was predeceased by his brother, Joseph Dominic Beote.
Mr. Beote was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, in Yarmouth.
Family and friends are invited to leave memorial tributes in Mr. Beote's memory at www.mem.com.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to American Diabetes Association, 169 Lancaster Street, Portland, Maine 04101.
John M. Blanchard, Sr.
2006-08-18
John M. Blanchard, Sr,, 83, died Thursday, August 10, at Maine Medical Center in Portland.
He was born in Portland on May 24, 1923, the son of Maurice and Helen Tyndall Blanchard. He attended Portland schools and was a graduate of Deering High School, class of 1941.
Mr. Blanchard enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and served in the Pacific Theater of Operations, and was involved in the battles of Kwajalein Atoll, the Solomon Islands and the Marshall Islands.
Following World War II, Mr. Blanchard was employed first by Nissen's Bakery and later by Amoco Oil.
Family was the central focus of Mr. Blanchard's life, and spending time with his family on activities that they could all enjoy was of utmost importance. He enjoyed hunting and fishing with his family, and was an avid golfer. He and his family golfed at Portland Country Club, Willowdale, Poland Springs and Bridgton Highlands.
Surviving are his wife of 53 years, Claire Millington Blanchard, of South Portland; four sons, James Blanchard and his wife Jessica, of Gray, George Blanchard and his wife Linda, also of Gray, John M. "Skip" Blanchard, Jr., and his wife Kathleen, of Harrison, and Edward Blanchard and his wife Susan, of Scarborough; a sister, Frances Leighton, of Blacksburg, Virginia; a sister-in-law, Catherine Cohen, of Falmouth; John and Lorraine Hill, of Florida; and seven grandchildren, Rebecca Blanchard, David Guignard, Troy Guignard, Nicole Blanchard, Erin Blanchard, Erin Blanchard, Andrew Blanchard and Krista Blanchard.
He will also be sadly missed by his lifelong friends Phil and Anita James and family, of South Portland.
A graveside funeral service was held at Forest City Cemetery, South Portland, on Monday. Arrangements were by Conroy-Tully Crawford South Portland Chapel.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital at Maine Medical Center, 22 Bramhall Street, Portland, Maine 04102.
Donald Curtis
2006-08-18
Donald Richard Curtis died triumphantly Monday, August 14, 2006, with his family.
Donald was born in Haverhill, MA, on August 19, 1917, son of Charles Richard Curtis and Hattie May Pitman. He attended Salem, MA schools and graduated from Springfield College in 1940 and later attended Tufts Medical School. He later attended The United States Coast Guard Academy and was a lieutenant during WWII. After serving, he was employed for thirty-eight years as an insurance underwriter for Mutual Fire Inspection Bureau of New England working Maine and New Hampshire. He retired in 1983.
Donald married Muriel Hazel Greeley in 1941. They moved to Maine in 1947, residing in Gray. In 1998, Donald moved to Raymond where he resided with his son, Greg, and his beloved daughter-in-law Leona and their two children, Shawn and Kristi, and their two dogs and two cats-his close companions in recent years.
Don and Muriel enjoyed fifty-two years of marriage. Their passion for raising gladiolus won the admiration of hundreds of customers for over fifty years. Don was a member of Maine Gladiolus Society, serving many positions. His passion for and mastery of raising glads won him many Maine and New England awards/championships.
Don was a fifty-plus-year member of Gray Fire Department, serving as secretary for most of this time span. He was also a fifty-plus-year member of Cumberland Lodge No. 12 of Masons in New Gloucester.
Don was one of the original founders of Gray Little League in the 1950s, along with Jerry Burns. He was a member of the Board of Directors of School Administrative District #15.
Don was predeceased by his wife Muriel in March of 1993. He is survived by his son Richard Sr. and wife Donna of Jackman and their three sons, Charles, Matthew, and Richard Jr., and a great-granddaughter. He is also survived by his daughter Gail of Alna and her two daughters, Abbe and Emily, and three great-granddaughters. Additionally, he is survived by his son Greg and wife Leona of Raymond and their son Shawn and daughter Kristi.
A memorial visitation will be held from 6 to 8 P.M. on Friday, August 18, at Wilson Funeral Home, 24 Shaker Road, Gray. A memorial celebration will be held at 2 P.M. on Saturday at St. Ann's Episcopal Church, 40 Windham Center Road, Windham.
Gifts in memory of Donald Curtis may be made to Springfield College, Attention Gift Records, 263 Alden Street, Springfield, MA 01109-3797, or to Androscoggin Home Care & Hospice, 15 Strawberry Avenue, PO Box 819, Lewiston, ME 04243-0819.
Sandra Mae Ducy
2006-08-18
On Sandra Mae (Garland) Ducy went home to be with her Lord and Savior. She was surrounded with her family and close friends. She was at peace with the Lord, her heavenly Father.
Born in Portland on May 17, 1946, to Eva (Beaulieu) and Arnold Garland, Sandy grew up in Portland. She attended Deering High School. As a young lady, she worked at Goodwin's Ice Cream and as assistant manager of Edna's Restaurant in Portland.
She was known to have won a hula-hoop contest at age 12, and later a trophy for a twist dance contest.
On August 8, 1964, she was married to her hunky Bernard M. Ducy, Jr., of Gray. They made a lifelong home together in Gray with their family and numerous friends. Sandy was a priceless gem.
She worked at Healthtex in Portland, Morrill's M.A.D.E. Auto Auction, Westside Restaurant and Cole Farms Dressing Factory. She was a very active person. Early in her daughter's life, she was a Brownie Troop Leader. For the past 25 years, Sandy and her husband worked together in their antique business. She was an extremely loved member of Trinity Assembly of God in Gray. She played an instrumental part in everyone's life there. She was a spiritual mom to many. She wore many hats, including Deaconess of Hospitality.
Extraordinary wife, mother, grandmother and friend-there are not enough words to describe such a lady. Her faith and love for the Lord has spoken to many. Among her many physical challenges during her life, she never complained. Always there to take care of and protect others, her life was a living testimony of God's power through the many miracles of her life. Sandy was a 36-year kidney transplant survivor.
A favorite time for her was traveling to the ocean for an afternoon lunch with her husband. She loved to take care of her home and family. She enjoyed entertaining, cooking and doing for others. She was a wonderful cook. She loved to spend time reading the Bible and praying on her porch.
Her greatest joy in life was her grandchildren. She would spend many, many hours loving and caring for them and teaching them to bake. Emily, her granddaughter, and Grammy made the best pumpkin whoopee pies! Everyone always looked forward to whatever they baked. When asked what to say about what kind of person she was, her grandson Michael said there is only one thing to say: she was a nice lady.
Sandra was predeceased by her infant son, Michael Anthony; her mother, Eva Garland; her father, Arnold Garland; a brother, Robert Garland; and her sister, Junie Garland.
She leaves behind her husband, Bernard Ducy; a daughter, Brenda and her husband, Bruce Sawyer, a very special son-in-law (as she would say, I couldn't have picked one better if I'd picked him myself) and their children, Emily and Michael, all of Gray; a son, Ronald and wife Donna and his daughter Vicky Henry, of Augusta; a brother, Ronald Garland and wife Cathy, of Myrtle Beach; many special friends and family, including Nancy Mains, who gave her four and a half more years with the generous gift of one of her kidneys.
She will be sadly missed, although we will look forward to the day when we will see her again to celebrate in Heaven.
Visitation and a memorial service to celebrate her life were held this week. Arrangements were under the care of wilson Funeral Home, Gray.
Memorial donations may be made to the National Kidney Foundation of Maine, 630 Congress Street, P.O. Box 1134, Portland, Maine 04104, or to www.kidney.org, Sandra Mae Garland) Ducy.
Rena Litrocapes
2006-05-19
Rena A. Litrocapes, 68, died on May 14 in Portland.
She was born January 24, 1938, the daughter of Thomas E. and Lorena Fuller Leonard.
Mrs. Litrocapes was a beloved school bus driver for the Town of Gray, a retired nurse and recently worked as a home caregiver. She loved cruising on Thompson Lake with family and friends in her tugboat Precious. She was a Constant Caregiver and loving mother.
She is survived by six children: Helen Terri Trafford, of Baldwin; Pamela McAfee, of Gray; Charles Litrocapes, of Scarborough; Peter Litrocapes, of South Portland; Sandra Billings, of New Gloucester; and James Litrocapes, of South Portland. Also surviving are a sister, Charlotte Sowers, of Damascus, Florida; a brother, Thomas Leonard, of Freeport; 10 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
A funeral was held Thursday at Wilson Funeral Home, with committal in Gray Village Cemetery. Pastor Douglas Hedstrom officiated.
Memorial donations may be made to Gray Rescue, 125 Shaker Road, Gray, ME 04039.
Arrangements were by Wilson Funeral Home.
