BASS HARBOR – Reabina Frances Harkins, 83, died peacefully in her sleep Aug. 11, 2008, at Mount Desert Island Hospital. Born Sept. 16, 1924, in Hall Quarry, she was the 11th child of Thomas and Rhoda (Dickens) Harkins’ 14 children. “Bena,” as she was affectionately known, lived her life with heartfelt love for her many family members and friends. She was always full of laughter and her kindness towards others was one of her numerous attributes. Educated in Hall Quarry and Somesville schools, she earned straight A’s through grade 12. Bena was a waitress in Palm Beach, and Punta Gorda, Fla., but the job she excelled at for close to 30 years was at Stinson’s and then Addison’s Canning Factory, Southwest Harbor, where she was very popular in the packing room. Her passion for many years was playing bingo at the American Legion Hall, Trenton. She is in the thoughts of many of her special bingo friends, especially Kathy Kidder. An avid Celtics and Red Sox fan, she also had a creative side. She enjoyed playing her violin and harmonica, reading and writing poetry, and learning about history through literature. Nothing gave Bena more pleasure than enjoying picnics on the beach with her friends where she was always the life of the party. She is survived by her brothers, Timothy and Tilson; her sister, Mary; and sister-in-law, Mary “Penny” Harkins. She also left many nieces, nephews, cousins; and several special friends, including Sylvia “Sib” Kelley, Carol Giesecke and Gloria Branham. She was predeceased by her parents; her brothers, Clarence, Robert Emmett, Thomas, James, John, Andrew “Jack;” and her sisters, Katherine “Kay,” Elizabeth and Rhoda “Judy.” A picnic in her memory for family and friends will be held during the summer of 2009. The specific date will be announced in the spring.
REABINA FRANCES HARKINS
