CUTLER – Celia Marie (Farris) Lemieux died suddenly Jan. 7, 2012. She was born May 5, 1949, daughter of Ruth (Corbett) and Glenn Farris.
After graduating from Washington Academy in 1967, and Husson College in 1969, she was employed by the trust department of Merrill Bank, preceding her marriage to Norbert Lemieux, Sept. 1, 1973. Throughout the course of their 38 years together in Cutler, she devoted herself to their children, grandchildren, and to helping her husband run their family businesses: Little River Boat Shop, Lemieux Lobster and Downeast Wind Power. Celia was a member of Holy Name Catholic Church, Machias, where for many years she was a member of the parish council, served as
Eucharistic minister and worked on church suppers and other fundraisers. Celia loved her hometown of Cutler and since childhood delighted in its Fourth of July tradition. Maintaining that tradition was important to her, and she was willing to dedicate hours to that effort for the sake of her grandchildren, quietly assuming various responsibilities necessary to produce the celebration. Beyond the love for her town, Celia loved her family with a gentle and consuming love, evidenced by the home life she created, the meals she so carefully prepared, and the generous distribution of her special chocolate chip cookies. Her kindness was manifested in the thoughtful gestures to family and friends, and the choices of special gifts and events for her children and grandchildren. Devotion to family shone in faithful attendance at her children’s and grandchildren’s sports events and school activities. With her family, she enjoyed fishing, camping trips, and picnics along Cutler’s shores. Other interests included home improvement projects, sewing, gardening, and reading about the early settlement of the Old West. No doubt Cutler residents will remember seeing her brisk strides down the road on her daily walks, her arm swinging and her eyes surveying her beloved town.
Celia is survived by her husband, Norbert Lemieux; their son, Nick, and his wife, Belinda, and their sons, Ryan and Jackson, all of Cutler; their daughter, Christina and her husband, Anthony, and their daughter, Anya Marie, of London; sister, Delia Farris of Cutler; mother-in-law, Celine Lemieux; and her husband’s siblings, Rose Fortin, Gilbert Lemieux, Lucille Foster, Patricia Hildreth, Ralph Lemieux, Bernadette LaCroix, Richard Lemieux, and their spouses and children. She is also survived by a special cousin, Glennis O’Connell, on her father’s side; and by numerous first cousins in the Corbett family. She was predeceased by parents, Ruth and Glenn Farris.
Visiting hours will be held 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 12, at McClure Family Funeral Home, corner of Charles and Drisko streets, Machias. A Mass of Christian burial will be 10 a.m. Friday at Holy Name Catholic Church, Machias, with the Very Rev. Eugene Gaffey, celebrant. Burial will be after at New Cutler Cemetery, Cutler, with a reception after at Cutler Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to may donations in her memory may do so to American Heart Association, Maine Affiliate Inc., 51 U.S. Route 1, Suite M, Scarborough, ME 04074.