Burpee, Carpenter & Hutchins Funeral Home

TENANTS HARBOR - Marion Dowling Watts, 93, passed Sunday May, 8th, surrounded by her loving family, at the Sussman House in Rockport after a brief period of declining health.
Marion was born on January 11, 1923 in Port Clyde, Nova Scotia, the daughter of Gwendolyn Fradena MacKay and Harold Morton Dowling, moving to the US at 3 months of age. Over the years, she made many family trips back to Port Clyde to the family house.
Marion graduated from St. George High School in 1941 and is a graduate of Mass Memorial Hospital, with the last 6 months of training at Portsmouth Naval Hospital in Portsmouth Virginia as Cadet in the Navy Cadet Corp. She was an operating room nurse at Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York City, then later employed as an office nurse for Dr. Gilmore Soule before returning to operating room RN at Penobscot Bay Medical Center until her retirement from nursing.
On October 28, 1945 Marion married Albert B. Watts. They enjoyed a wonderful life together raising their children and traveling with family and friends. One of her fondest memories was accompanying her husband on his final voyage as Captain before retiring on the 730’ oil Tanker TEXACO CALIFORNIA, passing through the Panama Canal from the US East Coast to the US West Coast.
Marion was a member of the Ridge Baptist Church where she was active in the Womens Club and taught Sunday School for many years. In the last few years Marion attended the Tenants Harbor Baptist Church and enjoyed her fellowship there. She was a life member of Puritan Rebekah Lodge and was past District Deputy President, a member of Naomi Chapter #25 OES, being Grand Martha in 1988 and served two years as D.D.G Matron. She was also a member of PAGO’s, the Nurses Guild and a life member of Star and Rebekahs.
She had a keen sense of humor and put on many skits and plays along with minstrel shows at the Odd Fellows Hall in Tenants Harbor to benefit Rebekahs. She loved exchanging and telling jokes and will long be remembered for her monthly jokes at the Nurses Guild meetings.
She enjoyed following her children’s and grand-children’s sports and music activities. She was sports minded and a die-hard Red Sox fan watching them right until her last day.
She took up tennis at age 50 and played until her late 80’s and enjoyed her friendships with members of the St. George Tennis Group. She also enjoyed art and did many quality sketches and paintings. She enjoyed hosting cookouts and dinners for friends and family. Marion and her husband Albert enjoyed their extended Star and Mason families in their latter years during retirement.
Marion was a loving wife, mother and grandmother. She was a talented cook and loved to bake pies, cakes and brownies to name but a few. She was famous for her Toll House Cookies and always had a container of them on hand to send away with family and friends after a visit to her house. Marion also loved spending summer days at the beach with her children, grandchildren and friends.
Marion was predeceased by her loving husband Albert of 63 years, her eldest son Timothy, who passed in 2012 and her brother Frank and his wife Peggy.
She is survived by her daughter Terryl and partner Sal Dinardo of Naples, Florida; her son Todd and wife Lauren of Tenants Harbor; granddaughters, Tamara Brown and husband Jason of Naples, Florida, Megan Berube and husband Bryan of Morrisville, NC, Alexandra Watts of Portland, Taylor Watts of Tenants Harbor; great-granddaughters, Jocelyn Murray, Chloe Brown, Nora Berube; great-grandson Thomas Berube; and a special niece Lorraine Schemel and husband Tom of Springfield, Ohio. She is also survived by many close cousins, a special long-time friend and neighbor Mary Davis, along with dear neighbors Priscilla and Leigh LeClair. Marion also leaves many life-long friends through her many community affiliations.
Marion’s family would like to extend their thanks to her many friends for their visits and cards of encouragement during her hospitalization. We would also like to thank those who cared for her at Penobscot Bay Medical Center and the Sussman House during her final days.
A celebration of her life will be held at 2:00 p.m., Friday, June 24, 2016 at the Tenants Harbor Baptist Church. Memorial donations may be made to the St. George Ambulance Fund, PO Box 131 Tenants Harbor, Maine 04860 or to the Sussman House, 40 Anchor Drive Rockport, Maine 04856.
Arrangements are entrusted to Burpee, Carpenter & Hutchins Funeral Home, 110 Limerock Street, Rockland.
To share a memory or condolence with the Watts’ family, please visit their Book of Memories at www.bchfh.com.