CAPE ROSIER and ELLSWORTH – Florene Muriel (Cotes) Black, 89, died Oct. 7, 2011, at an Ellsworth health care facility, with her loving family by her side. She was born Sept. 28, 1922, in Dixfield, the daughter of Earl and Flossie (Chase) Cotes.
Florene grew up in Dixfield and Rumford and graduated from high school in Kittery. She graduated from Traipe Academy with a business degree and then went to South Portland Ship Yard to work as a welder, where she met the love of her life, Lewis E. Black from Cape Rosier. They married and had five children, Alfred, Geraldine, Arnold, Edward and Carol. She also worked at Callahan Mine Cape Rosier and Kerr American Mine, Blue Hill, as a financial administrator. Florene volunteered as a teacher’s aide at Brooksville Elementary School for many years. She volunteered at Blue Hill Hospital and was one of the founders of Meals for Me in Brooksville. She made hundreds of pairs of socks for Equadorian children. Florene was a 50-plus year member of Rosier Grange, Cape Rosier and Hancock Pomona Grange No. 13. Florene has touched the lives of many from her volunteer services and her professional life. She was an avid square dancer and round dancer. She loved to cook, sew, knit and do challenging projects. She enjoyed country and western music and spent many hours being involved. Florene enjoyed many hours of music with Wade Dow and friends at the Senior Center in Bucksport on Sunday afternoons.
She is survived by daughters, Geraldine Rackliff of Bucksport and Carol Allen and Ricker Parsons of Surry; son, Edward Black and Anne of Cape Rosier; grandchildren, Cheryl Rackliff of Durham, Michael Rackliff of Surry, Christopher and Megan Black of Brewer, Lisa Black and Ben Priest of New York, Karla Black and John Salomao of Richmond, Tony and Troy Staples of Penobscot, Teri and Michael Rebaska of Arizona and Tami McGuan and Greg of Colorado; and 10 great-grandchildren. Florene was predeceased by her parents; her brother, Orland Cotes; her husband, Lewis; and her sons, Alfred and Arnold.
Friends are invited to call 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11, at Jordan-Fernald, 141 South St., Blue Hill, where funeral services will be held 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12. Interment will be at Evergreen Cemetery, Cape Rosier. There will be a reception after the service at Brooksville Town Hall. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Florene’s memory may be made to Brooksville Meals Program, care of Audrey Peasley, 10 Ferry Road, Brooksville, ME 04617. Condolences may be expressed at
www.jordanfernald.com.