Marie DeCosta Spofford, 89, of Boothbay, passed away at Miles Memorial Hospital, May 23, 2022.

She was born in South Paris, Maine in 1932, to Edward William Sr. and Esther Lillian (Pratt) DeCosta of Boothbay.

She attended elementary school at Boothbay Center, and High School at Boothbay Harbor High, in the close knit class of 1950. She remembered a time when Pit Parker brought otters to the school and one got loose and ran away to Pat’s Pond next door. This caused a great commotion with the students, who finally got the otter back into his cage.

Marie was raised on the Dover Road in Boothbay and grew up working on her families thirty acre farm; picking berries, selling vegetables in their stand and working in DeCosta’s Greenhouses. She was employed at the Sylvania plant in Waldoboro, Brown Brothers Wharf and for Weston and Brenda Andersen, at Andersen Design; shipping ceramics all over the world. She enjoyed ceramics and eventually purchased a small business and kiln from Reona Heino, making ceramic dishes and naming the business, “Maine Memories.”

Marie married Boothbay native Gordon Spofford in 1955, when he returned from his Army service duty in Germany. The couple had two daughters, Diane and Tammy. The family spent most of their lives in the Boothbay region and lived in Clearwater, Florida in the early ’60s for a brief time.

Marie was an avid gardener, raising and canning vegetables much of her life. She made the best peanut butter cookies and “bread and butter pickles.” She loved keeping her own home and taking care of her family. She attended Boothbay Baptist Church for much of her life, where her parents taught Sunday school and her mother played the organ. She sought donations for the March of Dimes, and for the Boothbay Region Scholarship Fund in the early days of these charities.

Marie DeCosta Spofford passed two months shy of her 90th birthday, 1932-2022. She developed non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in 2000. She spent 22 years in treatment for this disease. Oncologist, Dr. Richard Polkinghorn, took care of her during that time, providing excellent care with his wonderful team of caregivers.

Marie was predeceased by her devoted husband Gordon Spofford, her dear brother Edward W. DeCosta Jr. and sister in law, Nancy, and brother and sister in law, Ronald and Jane Spofford. Marie was a direct descendant of Miles Standish, Lt. Isaac Thayer who fought with George Washington, and Capt. Gustavus C. Pratt who was wounded three times at the Battle of Gettysburg and spoken of in the book, Red Diamond Regiment, by William B. Jordan Jr.

She is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, Diane and Guy Randlett, and Tammy and Robert DeVore; grandson, Jason Spofford Randlett, granddaughter-in-law Kathryn and granddaughter and grandson-in-law, Angie R. and Matthew Ender. Five great-grandchildren were blessed to have known her; Eleanor and Fiona Randlett, A.J., Aubrey and Emma Ender. Nieces and nephews are Rodney and Randy DeCosta, Richard Spofford, Sally Carroll, Laurie Simmons and families, cousins; Brian DeCosta, David, Holly and Victoria Pratt, Bob and Deb and Cleo Greenleaf and special pen pal, Amy Getchow.

A graveside service will be held on Tuesday, May 31, at 11 a.m. at Evergreen Cemetery in Boothbay. Donations may be made in her memory to a charity of your choice.