SCARBOROUGH – Charlotte Louise (Leighton) Huntley, 89, died July 5, 2012, at her home at Piper Shores, Scarborough. Charlotte was born Jan. 24, 1923, in Portland, the daughter of Viola Maude (Beal) and Lester Howard Leighton.
She graduated from Jonesport High School in 1941. On April 5, 1942, she married Ira Hull Huntley, son of Mary Sabra (Kelley) and Alonzo Freeman Huntley, in an Easter wedding ceremony at Blue Hill Congregational Church. In 1944 Ira joined the U.S. Navy and Charlotte and their new daughter, Beverly Louise, moved to Jonesport to live with her parents. After the war, in 1947, the family moved to Easthampton, Mass., where in 1949 their son, Lawrence Ira “Larry,” was born. The family returned to Jonesport in 1949. As a member of Sawyer Memorial Congregational Church, Jonesport, Charlotte served as Sunday school teacher, choir member, deaconess and president of the Women’s Fellowship. She was a Girl Scout leader, president of American Legion Auxiliary, Roger Worcester Post 83, assistant librarian of Peabody Memorial Library, and secretary to the Jonesport superintendent of schools. When the family moved to Orono in 1959, Charlotte began working at Fogler Library at the University of Maine. She loved her job and during the next decade, finished a Bachelor of Arts degree and then went on to earn a master’s degree in library science. During her library career, she was involved in state and national library issues and also represented her Fogler colleagues on several faculty committees. She retired in 1986 after 25 years of service. Charlotte loved to travel and in retirement she was able to enjoy visiting most of the continental United States and Hawaii, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Switzerland.
A favorite trip was in 2002 when she and Ira celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary by traveling by train across Europe from London to Rome. In 2001 Charlotte became a “Pioneer” at Piper Shores, Scarborough. With her library skills still sharp, she helped design the community’s library and served as the community’s liaison with Scarborough Public Library and as a member of the community’s finance committee. Her love of learning will be missed by all who knew her. Her happiest times were spent enjoying a good book with her children and grandchildren.
She is survived by her husband of 70 years, Ira H. Huntley; two children, Lawrence Ira “Larry” Huntley and his wife, Roberta Agnes Huntley, of Scarborough and Beverly Louise (Huntley) Choate and her husband, Thomas G. A. Choate, of Houston and Jonesport; six grandchildren, T. Aaron Choate, Daniel Winship, Christopher Choate, Laurie (Winship) Robert, Jennifer Huntley and Katherine (Winship) Doucette; and seven great-grandchildren, Dylan and Danielle Winship, Lila and Ali Doucette, Ayla and Ethan Robert, and Emily Catherine Choate; as well as many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents.
In accordance with Charlotte’s wishes, a memorial reception and celebration of life will be held 1-3 p.m. Saturday, July 14, at Piper Shores, 15 Piper Road, Scarborough. A graveside service will be held in Jonesport at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in Charlotte’s memory may be made to Peabody Memorial Library, Jonesport. Online condolences may be expressed at
www.hobbsfuneralhome.com.