Earlene Ann Dumais Obituary (1931 - 2014)

Earlene Adams Dumais passed away peacefully on September 24, 2014 at the Gosnell House, operated by Hospice of Southern Maine, in Scarborough. For the last 18 months Earlene had been a resident of Scarborough Terrace in Scarborough. Earlene was born on May 12, 1931 in Providence, Rhode Island the first daughter of Earle B. and Dorotha Thompson Adams. She attended schools in Portland, Maine, Chesterton, Indiana and Wilton, Maine where she graduated from Wilton Academy in 1949. After high school, Earlene attended what was then known as Westbrook Junior College in Portland and graduated with a degree in Lab Technology in 1951. After college, Earlene worked at Maine Medical Center. In March of 1952, Earlene married the love of her life, Bertrand Dumais, and settled in Skowhegan, Maine the following year where the two of them spent 61 years together until Bert passed away in March 2013. While raising a family, Earlene worked full time, 1st as a medical assistant to Dr. Albert Bernard and later serving the same role with Dr. Reed. In the late 1960’s Earlene changed careers and become a licensed insurance agent working at the William Philbrick Insurance Company in Skowhegan as their Commercial Lines manager until she retired in 1993. In addition to working full time and raising a family of four, Earlene had many interests that kept her busy. She was a member of the Skowhegan Chapter of Semper Fidelis as well as the Daughters of Isabella and the Notre Dame de Lourdes Catholic Church in Skowhegan, attending Mass several days a week. Earlene was an accomplished seamstress. She loved to knit sweaters and hats for her kids, and made the best homemade dinner rolls known to man! Earlene loved tend to her flower gardens and each Christmas season filled her porch with evergreen boughs from which she would make wreaths for her family and friends. Earlene also loved to ski spending most winter weekends and holidays with her family at Eaton Mountain or Sugarloaf. Earlene was very fond of crossword puzzles, religiously completing the puzzle while having her coffee 1st thing every morning. She also very much enjoyed playing bridge, participating in bridge clubs in Skowhegan, Waterville and Jekyll Island, Georgia where she and Bert spent their winters in retirement. After she retired, Earlene took up golf. She played with Bert regularly at Lakewood Golf Course where she was also a member of the Women’s Association as well as at Jekyll Island where she also spent her days bike riding, exploring the beaches and volunteering at the local hospital. She is predeceased by her husband Bertrand A. Dumais, her son Peter Earl, her parents Earle B. and Dorotha T. Adams. Earlene is survived by her children, Jeffrey Lynn Dumais and wife Julie Harrison, Scarborough, ME, Brian Peter Dumais, Underwood, WA , Julie Dumais- Dore and her husband Larry Dore., Scarborough, Laurie Ellen and husband Larry Palow, Windham, her sister, Mary Ellen Coughlan, Foxborough, MA, her sisters-in law, Ernestine Ohler, Augusta and Camille “Mimi” Brown and her husband, Jim, Albequerque, NM, her nine grandchildren, Jacqueline Dore, New York, NY, Peter Dore, Portland, Michael Palow, Westbrook, Danielle & Elliot Dumais, Scarborough, Eliza and Derek Palow, Windham, Madeliene Dumais, Seattle, WA and Julia Lauren, Castle Rock, CO; and more than a dozen nieces and nephews. A celebration of Earlene’s life will be held at Smart & Edwards Funeral Home 183 Madison Ave. Skowhegan on Monday, September 29 from 6-8pm. A memorial service will be held at 1pm on Tuesday, September 30 at Smart & Edwards Funeral Home as well. The family would like to thank the staff at Scarborough Terrace as well as Hospice of Southern Maine for their extraordinary care and kindness during Earlene’s illness. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you make a donation in Earlene’s name to: Hospice of Southern Maine, 180 US Route One, Suite One, Scarboroguh, ME 04074.