GOULDSBORO AND WINTER HARBOR – Charlene Frances Blance Ray, 87, died Sept. 30, 2012, at health care facility in Bangor, after a long period of declining health. She was born May 20, 1925, in Bangor, the middle of three children to George Clarke and Beulah H. (Bunker) Blance.
Charlene grew up in Winter Harbor and attended Winter Harbor Grammar School, and graduated from Winter Harbor High School, in 1942, and Colby College, Waterville, in 1946. During summers, she worked at the Grindstone Neck swimming pool for 15 years and at Gerrish’s Drug Store. She spent many hours helping her father, who represented a number of interests in the Grindstone Neck summer colony for a number of years into his advanced age, with bookkeeping, checking the pump house engine on a routine basis to be sure water was getting to Grindstone, and collecting water samples from Birch Harbor Pond to have analyzed. She taught for a number of years at high schools throughout Maine, including Wilton Academy, Winslow, Guilford and Sumner, as well as Oak Grove Seminary – a prep school for girls. She taught science and English at Sumner, where she also chaperoned the cheerleaders on their “away” sporting events. In 1956 Charlene married Wendell, a chemistry professor at Colby College. He had been employed by Arthur D. Little, Inc., to experiment and develop special stratagems for the Office of Strategic Services during World War II. Charlene assisted him in this endeavor at a privately contracted lab at Colby and later in a private lab in their Waterville home. Charlene loved summer recreational activities, including exploring and revisiting areas throughout the state of Maine, picnicking at Schoodic Point or other scenic locations. She loved riding behind Wendell on his motorcycle and driving her own moped beside his on more local trips. She also enjoyed boating around the harbors and all things nautical. She was a skilled and creative craftsperson in many media: needlework, needlepoint, embroidery, macrame, woodcraft, knitting, crocheting, silver soldering, making jewelry and staining glass. She could turn ordinary rocks, shells or glass into a nice piece of artwork. She could turn old aluminum cans into hats. She had an extensive collection of unusual hats, all of which she made. She was friendly, gracious and generous. Her creativity and generosity extended into the kitchen, where she developed and prepared recipes, sharing both the recipes and the results with her friends and family.
She was predeceased by her husband of nearly 48 years, Wendell A. Ray. Charlene is survived by her sister, Elinor B. Vassey of South Gouldsboro; brother, George C. Blance Jr. of Lowell, Mass., and Prospect Harbor; nephew, Bradford Vassey and wife, Rose (Edwards), of South Gouldsboro; nephew, Emuel E. Vassey III “Bud” and wife, Ann (Merchant), of Winslow; niece, Mary Frances and husband, William Willis, of Satellite Beach, Fla.; niece, Katherine Elinor Brown of Wilmington, N.C.; nephew, George C. Blance III of Lowell, Mass.; and niece, Pauline Shain of Calais. The family of Charlene Blance Ray wishes to express their extreme appreciation and gratitude for the tender, loving and efficient care of Charlene during her illness by recognizing Catherine Martin, Darlene Wallace and the staff at Winterberry Heights.
Services will be held 11 a.m. Oct. 8 at Bragdon-Kelley Funeral Home, 215 Main St., Ellsworth. In lieu of flowers, if you wish, you may consider making a donation in her memory to Sumner Memorial High School Scholarship Fund, Sullivan.
Charlene Frances Blance Ray
