BANGOR – Our loving, amazing mother, Rosemarie, 83 11/12, passed from this world Nov. 23, 2011, breaking our hearts, but adding a bright star in the heavens. She was born Dec. 6, 1927, in Van Buren, the second daughter of five children, to Clifford A. and Cecile (Paradis) Gagnon.
Mom read voraciously her entire life, and it gave her the idea of attending boarding school. She graduated in 1945 from Dean Academy, Franklin, Mass. She spent a summer at McGill University and then went on to the University of Maine. During one year she lived in a fraternity house because all the men were off at war. She graduated in 1949 and began her high school teaching career in Mapleton. On June 17, 1950, she married and took the next 20 years to raise her family of four rambunctious (to put it mildly) and (im)perfect children. Mom was the best fan you could ever have. She attended and cheered at more swim meets, football, basketball, baseball, school concerts, dinners and plays than we can count. She knit untold numbers of mittens, hats and afghans (with your name in them). She re-entered teaching in 1968, at Portsmouth High School, in New Hampshire. She then divorced and taught at Warsaw Middle School, in 1969, in Pittsfield, before settling at Hampden Academy, where she taught French, Spanish and a little German. While at Hampden Academy, “Madame” was an advisor to the class of 1974, received a varsity letter for attending track meets and brought multiple groups of students to Europe during several April vacations. She organized the infamous Tom Watt sales so every student of the French Club, who wanted to go on the annual Quebec trip, could do so. She was given a Distinguished Teacher Award and a scholarship was established in her name. Her close friends Barbara Good, David Greenier and David King, shared many years of laughter and friendship. After retiring in 1991 “Jinx” continued her photography hobby of creating and giving away hundreds of photo albums. Some of those same albums are at Hampden Historical Society, as well as Hampden Academy. She volunteered at “My Friend’s Place” and went out to lunch, dinner, church suppers and theater, where she invariably ran into former students. She kept up with technology and had many friends she stayed in contact with through email when not playing innumerable games of Free Cell. She was even on the front page of the Bangor Daily News to bring attention to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and the exercise regimen she performed. Mom was the most generous, compassionate and entertaining human being. Family, colleagues, friends and her students were always welcomed into our home. She took photos of everyone and everything – people, flowers, even food! Any conversation always included her saying how fortunate and content she was. Our mother was remarkable in the many ways she connected with people, from taking pictures, being interested and involved in their lives and even driving them to football practice … when there was none.
Mom was predeceased by her loving family members: her parents; sisters, Velma Tardif and Jo Eldridge; sister-in-law, Mona Gagnon; and brother-in-law, Tom Eldridge. She is survived by her favorite son, Bradford and wife, Kathy, of Jacksonville, Fla.; favorite son, Brian and wife, Debbie, of Chelsea and Palmetto, Fla.; favorite daughter, Heather and husband, Rick Bernstein, of Bangor; favorite daughter, Lynn and husband, Steve Hart, of Brewer; favorite grandchildren, Joshua Hallsey of Hudson, Jennifer Hallsey of Mississippi, Erik Hallsey of Rhode Island, Joshua Bernstein of California, Adam Bernstein of Bangor and Heather Ashley Corbett of Brewer; granddaughter-of-the-heart, Rachel Shropshire; favorite great-grandson, Dylan Hallsey of Orono; her sister, Jeanine and husband, Stan Stewart, of Bangor; brother, Daniel Gagnon of New Sharon and Port Charlotte, Fla.; several nieces and nephews, as well as untold numbers of friends from Van Buren, Bath, Portsmouth, Hampden, the University of Maine and hundreds of former students and their families. We thank Dr. Betsy Weiss, Lisa Roscher, F.N.P., New Hope Hospice, Rachel Shropshire and Westgate Manor for their wonderful support and care of Mom. Thanks to Stephanie Good Rishton for creating the Facebook page, “Memories of Madame Hallsey,” allowing so many to share so much.
Please join us to share memories and stories of Mom’s life 4-6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28, at Brookings-Smith, 133 Center St., Bangor, where a celebration of life service will be held 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29, with the Rev. Renee Garrett, Minister of Christian Nurture of All Souls Congregational Church, officiating. The family invites relatives and friends to bring a can of Coke and enjoy memories, pictures and refreshments at the Family Reception Center of Brookings-Smith, 163 Center St., Bangor, after the service. Those who wish to remember Mom may “pay it forward” by helping someone in need with your time, attention and encouragement, or make gifts in her memory to the Madame Hallsey Scholarship at Hampden Academy, My Friend’s Place – the Bangor organization that gives Alzheimer’s caregivers respite, Westgate Manor, New Hope Hospice or a charity of your choice. Condolences to the family may be expressed at
www.BrookingsSmith.com.