DEXTER – Adelaide Ernestine Fossa, 90, wife of the late James M. Fossa, died May 15, 2012, at Woodlands Assisted Living of Waterville. Born March 20, 1922, in Boothbay Harbor, she was a first generation American, the third of three daughters and four sons of Stephen Louis Carbone and Adelaide (Rumazza) Carbone.
She graduated from Boothbay Harbor High School, class of 1939. Ernestine graduated from Peter Bent Brigham Hospital School of Nursing, Boston, where she received her diploma in nursing and registered nursing license in 1944. Ernestine served in the U.S. Navy Nurses Corps on Long Island, N.Y., for the duration of World War II. After the service she worked at St. Andrews Hospital, Boothbay Harbor, and then as head nurse at Eastern Maine General Hospital, Bangor. In 1949, she married James M. Fossa of Dexter, where they raised three children. A devoted mother, Ernestine was very active in her community through organizations such as Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts of America. Ernestine enjoyed more than 50 beautiful summers with her family at their cottage, Casa Bella on Lake Wassookeag. After her children had matriculated college, Ernestine resumed her nursing career and worked as a staff nurse at Seton Hospital, Waterville; Plummer Memorial Hospital, Dexter; Mayo Memorial Hospital, Dover-Foxcroft; and Dexter Nursing Home. When she retired from nursing at age 70, she received a plaque from Dexter Nursing Home honoring her for 50 years of nursing. She, along with her family, owned and operated Fossa’s store, Main Street, Dexter, for many years. She was a communicant of St. Anne’s Catholic Church, Dexter. Ernestine was a member of American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Nurses Guild and Golden Age Widows Club. For the past year, Ernestine resided in Waterville to be closer to her family.
She is survived by a daughter and husband, Maria and Donald Goucher of Wenham, Mass.; son and wife, James and Linda Fossa of Waterville; and two grandchildren, James M. Fossa III and fiancee, Megan Vigue, of Winslow, and Danielle J. Fossa of Waterville. She was predeceased by her husband, James M. Fossa; son, Dr. Steven M. Fossa; four brothers, Frederick, Romolo, Frank and Stephen; and two sisters, Florence and Josephine. The Goucher and Fossa families extend a special thank you to her primary care physicians, Dr. David Preston of Winslow and Dr. Robert Lodato of Dexter; and Kelly Richardson and the staff of Woodlands Assisted Living who provided outstanding care to her.
At her request there will be no visiting hours. A private Mass will be held at St. Anne’s Catholic Church, Dexter, with burial in the family lot at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Dexter. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to St. Anne’s Catholic Church, Cluster 7 Office, 60 Free St., P.O. Box 193, Dexter, ME 04930. Arrangements are by Crosby & Neal, Dexter. Those who wish may leave written condolences at
www.CrosbyNeal.com.