BELFAST – Margaret Catherine (Sutton) Temple, 91, died Nov. 28, 2006, in Belfast. She was born Oct. 15, 1915, in Kennedyville on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, the ninth of 11 children born to George Washington and Mary T. (Pennington) Sutton. She grew up on a farm in Kennedyville, Md., and was educated in the local schools. After graduating from high school, she attended Washington College, Chestertown, Md., graduating with a degree in history in 1937. From there she went to the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, Baltimore. She graduated and became a registered nurse in 1940. In nursing, her area of interest was psychiatric nursing, an interest she pursued throughout her life, serving on boards at Sweetser and Midcoast Mental Health. In 1942, she married George L. Temple, M.D. and moved with him to Maine. Bright, funny and witty, Maggie, as she preferred to be called, enlivened many a gathering. She was athletic and as a young woman enjoyed archery, field hockey and horseback riding. When she was almost 40, she took up golf, which she loved and played for several decades. She was well known for her golfing prowess and won many awards throughout the years. She shot a hole-in-one in 1976 that made her most happy and proud. Maggie loved outdoor pursuits. She hunted deer in Maine and goose in Maryland. Her hunting endeavors yielded delicious bounty for her table, as did her brilliant gardening. From the first asparagus to luscious tomatoes to apple pies, her family ate her garden produce every day during summers. Her lovely flowers graced her home all summer. She dug clams and made wonderful clam chowder; she foraged for fiddleheads in spring; she picked blueberries in summer. Curious about the world, Maggie started traveling the world in her 60s. She especially loved the Nazca Lines in Peru, the tulips in Holland and eating lamb at every meal in New Zealand. She and her daughter had many adventures traveling together, and together they covered most of the United States and Canada. One summer they drove from Maine to Alaska; another, they rode mules to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and drove U.S. 1 from Los Angeles to Seattle. Maggie loved word games, and she and her daughter played several games of Scrabble every day while on the road. She also enjoyed doing crossword puzzles and word jumbles every day. During the last two years of her life, Maggie lived at Harbor Hill, Belfast. Her family is very grateful to the staff there for the kind, compassionate care they gave her. She was predeceased by her husband. She leaves her children and their spouses, Martha S. Temple and Alan C. Pickering of Hampden, George L. Temple Jr. and Deborah Temple of Seven Lakes, N.C., and Robert S. Temple of Brunswick; a stepgrand-daughter, Robin J. Pickering of Brooklyn, N.Y.; as well as several nieces, nephews and other extended family. A celebration of her life will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, Court Street, Belfast. A reception will be held after at the Chowder House, Route 1, Belfast. In lieu of flowers and to honor Maggie’s love of gardening, donations are preferred to the Landscape Fund at Harbor Hill, 2 Footbridge Road, Belfast, ME 04915. Arrangements are under the care of Crabiel-Riposta Funeral Home, 182 Waldo Ave., Belfast.
MARGARET CATHERINE (SUTTON) TEMPLE
