"Oh, father of the four winds, fill my sails, across the sea of years…” Robert Plant

Bertha Cooney Gardner, 70, of Westport Island, Maine passed away peacefully on March 26, 2025 surrounded by those she loved.

Bertha was born in Bridgeton, New Jersey on March 29, 1954 to Ralph and Clara Cooney, the fifth of six girls. She loved spending time with her family, especially her grandparents. Bertha delighted in telling stories of her childhood including fishing with her father, her diving prowess at Griner’s Pond, summer trips to Maine, and the joys of living in garden country with her love of Jersey tomatoes.

Bertha received her associate’s degree in business in El Paso, Texas and was the Salutatorian of her class with a school record in speed reading comprehension. Bertha moved to Maine to start a family and used her degree to enter into the insurance industry where she made her living for many years at agencies in both Wiscasset and Brunswick. She retired from insurance in the late 1990s and turned her passion of gardening into her livelihood, working at Hawke’s and Boothbay Region Greenhouses and the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, eventually opening her own horticultural business, Lilies of the Field, at her home on the Hutchins Farm in Edgecomb.

Bertha was an avid reader and dedicated herself to finishing every book she ever started (even the ones she disliked because there may be some redeemable quality). Her all time favorite books were Louisa May Alcott’s, “Little Women,” “Eight Cousins” and “Rose in Bloom,” and Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone With the Wind,” which she read countless times. Bertha had a special love of music, specifically classic rock. Her daughters were never certain if it was Robert Plant’s music or Robert Plant himself that made her love Led Zeppelin so much, but she swore up and down that at his Thompson’s Point performance in 2023, he looked right at her. Bertha also enjoyed drawing, painting and traveling, taking every opportunity to explore the United States. Anyone who knew Bertha knew that her gardens were her joy. Her home on Westport Island was in bloom almost year round. She loved to share her garden with her community, and took to leaving small bouquets at the end of her driveway for passersby to take home and enjoy.

Bertha was a devoted mother to her daughters Kellie and Katie, instilling magic into childhood, a love of multiple genres of music, art, and literature, and a wholly inappropriate sense of humor. Of all the roles she played, Bertha’s favorite was that of Nana to Everett and Fianna. Bertha adored her grandchildren and taught them about flowers and vegetables, how to cook, and the subtle art of sarcasm. She was happiest setting the table for Sunday dinner and playing board games with “the kids”. Bertha’s ability to find absurdity in a road sign and make friends and family laugh until they cried will never be forgotten. Her humor, tenacity, intelligence, and love for her family will be her enduring legacy.

Bertha is survived by her eldest daughter Kellie Oakes, her husband John and her adoring grandchildren Everett and Fianna of Wiscasset; her youngest daughter Katie Gardner and fur grandpuppy Kiko of Orr's Island; sisters Joyce Keen, Pat Foster, Bobbi Gentile and Ruth Elwell; partner Greg Rich and his daughter and family Gina, Jed and Emma Dunn; many beloved nieces and nephews and cousins; her very best friend since grade school Shirley Shaw; her first husband Dale Gardner; and special bonus daughters. She was predeceased by her parents; brother Franklin; sister Blanche Gannon; husband Donald Hutchins, and her precious dog Buster.

A celebration of life will be held at the Westport Island Town Hall on Saturday, May 10 at 2 p.m. Wear your comfy clothes and gardening gloves as we will be planting seeds and container gardens in her honor. In lieu of flowers, her daughter's request donations be made to the Garden Club of Wiscasset to aid in their mission of the beautification and preservation of local gardens. Donations can be sent to Garden Club of Wiscasset, P.O. Box 174, Wiscasset, ME 04578 or made on their website at gardenclubofwiscasset.org/berthagardner.

Arrangements are under the direction and care of the Strong-Hancock Funeral Home, 612 Main Street, Damariscotta, ME 04543. Condolences, and messages for her family, may be expressed by visiting: www.StrongHancock.com.