Muriel Price Brazer
OGUNQUIT - Muriel Price Brazer, 90, of Ogunquit, died peacefully on Feb. 26, 2008, at the York Hospital Strater Unit.
She received with joy a blessing from Rev. James Gambrill of the Episcopalian clergy shortly before her death.
She was born April 13, 1917, at home, in Malden, Mass., daughter of the late Chester and Ethel Price.
Muriel spent her childhood on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee in Wolfeboro, N.H. She graduated from Berwick High School, a star basketball player who earned the nickname "Stiltzie." She was a member of the Eastern Star and held the title of Miss Wells Beach in 1934. She attended McIntosh Business College in Dover, N.H., becoming proficient at the typewriter.
She worked between semesters at the Unity Inn on Shore Road in Ogunquit. There, Muriel met Norman Brazer, a dashing world traveler and Harvard-educated architect. They were married in 1936 and settled into Norman's Millstone Manor on the Ogunquit coast. Their family became prominent members of the Ogunquit community, and served to preserve its artistic and maritime heritage. Muriel received the historic Charles Woodbury Art Studio from Norman as an anniversary gift before his sudden death in 1960.
She was known for her natural beauty, and sat for many local artists such as Henry Strater, Ned Hergelroth, Harmon Neil and her dear friend Helen Lane. Muriel was a fabulous cook and entertainer who loved the arts and theatre. She attended opening night performances at the Ogunquit Playhouse for more than six decades. She played golf and was a member of the Cliff Country Club.
Muriel volunteered as a nurse's aid in York Hospital's maternity ward for many years. She was president of the Ogunquit Women's Club and editor of their 1956 cookbook; member of the York Hospital Guild and Women's Committee and of the Old York Garden Club, and friend of the Capt. Winn House, of the Ogunquit Museum of American Art and of the Barn Gallery.
As her health waned, she resided at Atria in Kennebunk.
Muriel is survived by two sons, Norman Brazer, Jr., and his wife Marcia, and Eric Olsen Brazer and his wife Kathleen, all of Ogunquit; five grandchildren, Sarah Brazer Campbell and her husband Chad of Lanai City, Hawaii, Dr. William Fletcher Brazer and his wife Sara of New Milford, Conn., Eric Olsen Brazer, Jr., of Chatham, Mass., Emily Brazer of Washington, D.C., and Eileen Brazer of Worcester, Mass.; three great-grandchildren, Isabel Campbell, Lauren Campbell and Jack Brazer; one sister, Marjorie Lipton Brooks of Port Charlotte, Fla.; four nieces, Wendy Bergier Ashley of Portland, Donna Sandborn of Port Charlotte, Fla., Nancy Fuller of Costa Rica and Betty Lipton Di Gamico of Cape Neddick; two nephews, Thomas Bergier of Scarborough and James Lipton of York Beach, and several grandnieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by one sister, Joyce Mildred Price, and one daughter, Mary Fletcher Brazer.
Funeral services will be private with Lucas & Eaton Funeral Home, York, directing arrangements. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made in Muriel's memory to the Ogunquit Playhouse, P.O. Box 915, Ogunquit, ME 03907. Visit www.lucaseatonfuneralhome.com.
Gertrude M. Butler
YORK - Gertrude M. Butler, 84, of 1 Raydon Road., died Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008, at the Holiday Inn in Augusta while attending the Eastern A and Western C and D tournament.
She was born at her home in Salisbury Cove, Maine, on Feb. 11, 1924, daughter of Chauncey and Mae (Dunton) McFarland, Sr. She graduated from Bar Harbor High School in 1941 and from Husson College in Bangor. She worked at the First National Bank in Bar Harbor.
She married Robert E. Butler upon his return from overseas in World War II in September of 1945. They had been going with each other since they were sophomores in high school. While her husband, Robert, was finishing college, she worked at the University of Maine College of Agriculture, at the General Ice Cream Corporation in Philadelphia, Pa., and the Social Security office in Springfield, Mass.
Following the birth of her three children, she stayed home and reared them until they were all attending school. She served many years as the York School Department secretary under three different superintendents before retiring 1981.
She served as a leader in the York Girl Scouts; she was a former member of the Grange, 4-H Club, York County Secretarial Association, York County Retired Teachers and the Rebecca Lodge in Bar Harbor. She had been very active in the Congregational Church while living in Kittery.
Mrs. Butler attended all the high school and recreational games with her husband while their children and grandchildren were in school. She also attended the Western Maine Class B, C and D Tournaments with her husband. He used to say that she probably attended more games than any woman in New England. When she was asked one time what her life had been like, she replied, "Life has been a ball."
She was very proud that she could help her husband do the Heal Point Standings in basketball for the Maine High School Boys' and Girls' Teams. They were very proud to receive the Maine Association of Basketball Coaches Contributor Award recognizing their service for high school athletics and academics. She had substituted many times in business education at York High School and had taught in the Adult Education Program.
Mrs. Butler and her husband served as tour guides to Europe. She went eight times during the month of February with adults and he went in April with students. Needless to say, he went to the tournament during the month of February. They traveled extensively in their motor home from Newfoundland to Alaska and from Maine to California and Florida and places in between.
Anyone that knew Mrs. Butler realized that her love for her children and grandchildren was always on her mind. She and her husband made certain that they would not miss any of their grandchildren's activities and they planned their vacations to make this possible. Each of their children and all of their grandchildren graduated from York High School. It was their good fortune to be able to attend all of their school and out of school activities. They felt they were being parents the second time around.
Mrs. Butler leaves her loving husband, Robert, of 63 years. and three children, Robert, Jr., and his wife Delight, Wanda Lee and her husband Ronald Avery, and David and his wife Crystal, all of York. She leaves her grandchildren that she and her husband thought the world of and treated as their own: Calvin Butler and his wife Kathy, Lloyd Butler, Carissa Butler, Ronald Avery, Jr., Brandon Avery and his wife Johnna, Ryan Avery, Jared Avery, Nicholas Butler and Jessica Butler. She also leaves her most recent thrills, her great-grandson, Braden Butler, and great-granddaughters, Brynn Butler and Nya Avery; a sister, Linda Palfrey; a brother, Chauncey McFarland, Jr., and his wife Virginia, and several nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her parents and two sisters, Statie Foster and Adelma Richardson, all of Bar Harbor.
Calling hours for Mrs. Butler were held Feb. 24 in the Lucas & Eaton Funeral Home with the funeral service Feb. 25 in the First Parish Congregational Church. Burial will be in the First Parish Cemetery in the spring. Memorial contributions may be made to the York High School Athletic Dept., Attn: Ted Welch, 1 Robert Stevens Dr., York, ME 03909. Visit www.lucaseatonfuneralhome.com.
Margaret E. Cooper
YORK - Margaret "Peggy" E. Cooper, 74, of 36 Gorgeana Way, died Monday, Feb. 25, 2008, at home.
She was born Oct. 4, 1933 in York, daughter of Margaret Martin, and graduated from York High School in 1951. She was a graduate of McIntosh Business College, class of 1953, and worked as a secretary at the York Middle School for 10 years.
She was a member of the Fadette Chapter Order of the Eastern Star and the First Parish Congregational Church. Peggy taught Sunday School, she was a Cub Scout Den mother and active Athletic Booster.
She leaves her husband of 54 years, George W. Cooper; two sons, Jeffrey Cooper of Bristol, Ind., and Timothy Cooper and his wife Carrie of York; six grandchildren, Shannon, Justin, Brook, Joey, Katie and Jack; a great-granddaughter, Arina Maria, and a sister, Barbara Haggerty of York.
A son, John Cooper, predeceased her.
The funeral service for Peggy was held Feb. 29 in the First Parish Congregational Church. Burial will be in the First Parish Cemetery in the spring. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Parkinson's Disease Assoc., Mass Chapter, 715 Albany St., Suite 329, Boston, MA 02188. Lucas & Eaton Funeral Home is directing arrangements. Visit www.lucaseatonfuneralhome.com.
Anthony C. LaPlante
YORK - Anthony C LaPlante, 68, of 2 Angel Ave., passed away unexpectedly, Tuesday Feb. 19, 2008, in York Hospital.
He was born Nov. 14, 1939, in York, son of Antonio and Beulah (Driscoll) (LaPlante) MacIntire. He graduated from York High School and served in the U.S. Navy Submarine Fleet. He worked for the York Post Office for 35 years before retiring. He enjoyed carpentry, cooking, his truck and tools, his Navy submarine service time and NASCAR. He was also an avid model railroader and enjoyed many years of karate.
He leaves his wife of 42 years, Pauline (Loudon) LaPlante; a daughter, Carol E. Glidden of Salem, N.H.; a granddaughter, Kirsten Glidden; his mother; a brother, John LaPlante of N.H.; two sisters, Marie Martin and Phyllis Hilbig. both of Connecticut; nieces, nephews and his family in England.
Memorial calling hours for Tony were held Feb. 28 in the Lucas & Eaton Funeral Home, www.lucaseatonfuneralhome.com. Funeral services will be private. Memorial contributions may be made to an animal rescue league of your choice.
Anthony Paul Miele
YORK BEACH - Anthony Paul Miele, 65, died Monday, Feb. 11, 2008, in Wentworth Douglass Hospital in Dover, N.H..
He was born Feb. 3, 1943, in Medford, Mass., son of the late Alfred M. and Beatrice (Ritchie) Miele, and had lived in Holbrook, Mass., before moving to York Beach. He had served in the Army and was a self-employed truck driver.
He leaves two daughters, Kerri J. Brison of South Carolina and Brook W. Miele of Weymouth, Mass.; four sisters, Beatrice Jordan of Milton, Vermont, Elizabeth Budryk of Lynnfield, Mass., Annemarie Miele of Groveland, Mass., and Theresa Miele of Georgetown, Mass.; two grandchildren, several nieces and nephews.
A brother, Timothy Miele, and a sister, Christine Miele, predeceased him.
A memorial service will be held in the spring. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Parkinson's Disease Association, Mass Chapter, 715 Albany St., Suite 329, Boston, MA 02118. Lucas & Eaton Funeral Home, www.lucaseatonfuneralhome.com, is directing arrangements.
Peter J. Rodziewicz
HUDSON, N.H. - Peter J. Rodziewicz, 85, a resident of Hudson and former York, Maine, and Dracut, Mass., resident, died Saturday, Feb. 23, at his home after a long illness.
He was the beloved husband of Lucille A. (Boudreau) Rodziewicz, to whom he was married for 62 years.
He was born in Lowell on July 22, 1922, and was a son of the late Peter and Sophie (Jankowski) Rodziewicz.
Mr. Rodziewicz served in the United States Army during World War II.
Prior to his retirement, he was employed for many years as a manager by the former Merrimack Wayside Furniture in Nashua, N.H.
In his free time he enjoyed working in his workshop. He was a member of the Polish American Veterans in Lowell.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by two daughters Elaine Couillard of Hudson, N.H., and Linda Zagorites and her husband Peter of Litchfield, N.H.; five granddaughters, Nancy Hammond and her husband Brian of Hudson, N.H., Shirley Wentworth and her husband Joseph of Windham, N.H., Catherine Paquette and her husband Jeffrey of Litchfield, N.H., Melissa Murrin and her husband Warren of Hollis, N.H., and Kristin Wilson and her husband Eric of Nashua, N.H.; 12 great-grandchildren; two brothers, Stanley Rodziewicz and his wife Patricia, and Michael Rodziewicz, all of Dracut, Mass.; a sister, Helen Sunderland of Methuen, Mass.; and many nieces and nephews.
He was also the brother of the late William Rodziewicz, Joseph Rodziewicz, Stella Rodziewicz, Sophie Milewski, Evelyn Nolan and Dolores Beaulieu.
His funeral service was held on Feb. 27. Funeral arrangements were entrusted to the care of the Dracut Funeral Home. For online condolences, visit www.dracutfuneralhome.com.
George A. Russell
YORK - George A. Russell, Sr., PE, 91, died Saturday, Feb. 9, 2008, in York Hospital after a short illness.
He was born Nov. 5, 1916, in Philadelphia, Pa., the son of the late Earl G. and Florence A. (Hurlbert) Russell. He was born and raised in Philadelphia and attended Central High School where he received a B.S. degree. He attended Drexel University night school for seven years, working at Nickelson File Co. during the day.
In 1942 he married his wife of 65 years, Elizabeth M. (Peterson) Russell. From 1942 to 1946 he was in the Panama Canal Zone while there he was in charge of a Barge Derrick. He and his wife lived in Philadelphia until moving to Lower Gwynedd Township where he worked for Amchem Products in Amber, Pa. During that time he was director of engineering and showed great imagination and ingenuity in his work. He built nine plants and serviced many more. He loved what he was doing.
He was chairman of the Lower Gwynedd Municipal Authority in Lower Gwynedd Township, Pa., for 40 years. He was a longtime member of the Ambler Rotary Club. He attended First Baptist Church in Lansdale, Pa., and served as church monitor for 30 years. He was a former president of Valley Forge Chapter of the Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers. He served for many years on the Board of Directors at Elm Terrace Gardens, a lifetime retirement community in Lansdale, Pa.
He and his wife moved to York in 2001 and became members of the First Parish Congregational Church. George loved his family and friends and will be sadly missed. He lived a life of service to others.
He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; a son, George A. Russell, Jr.; two grandchildren, Tanya A. Russell Palmer and Shawn A. Russell; a brother, Earl G. Russell; many nieces and nephews, and a former exchange student, Bob Smythe of Switzerland.
Two sisters, Gertrude McGraw and Florence Humes, and a niece, Janice I. McGraw, predeceased him.
Funeral services were held privately with Lucas & Eaton Funeral Home directing arrangements. Visit www.lucaseatonfuneralhome.com.
