Obituary of Mary Eileen Perkins

Obituary of Mary Eileen Perkins, 91, of Winter Haven Florida, who passed away on October 5, 2022. Eileen was born May 20, 1931 to Joseph “Leo” Lapointe and Leona Lapointe in Seaside, New Brunswick, Canada. She was the second child of four children. The family moved to Maine in 1936. Eileen was predeceased by her beloved family members, her mother and father, her husband Derward W. Perkins, her sisters Evangeline Burnett and Jeanne Smith, her brother Larry Lapointe, her sons Wayne A. Perkins and James “Jimmy” Perkins. She is survived by her children Randall and Diane Perkins of Bangor, ME, Gary Perkins and Diana De Los Santos of San Antonio, TX, and Lee and Sheila Anderson of Winter Haven, FL, her grandchildren Frank and Adrienne Rauccio of Southport, NC, Michelle Frye of Winter Haven, FL, Tyler Barringer and Samantha Perkins of South Portland, ME and her great grandchildren James and Breanna Ingram of Birmingham, AL, Trey Cooper of Lakeland, FL, Isabella Frye of Winter Haven, FL, Tyler Hoagland and Brinley Hoagland and Roman Rauccio of Southport, NC, Silas Perkins of Stockton Springs, ME, Blake Barringer of Jackson Behringer of South Portland, ME and many nieces and nephews. Everyone was loved and special to Eileen. Family was everything to her. She married her husband Derward in Guilford, ME in 1947 and they had five children together before his early and sudden passing in 1970. Derward was a retired Chief Master Sergeant in the US Air Force. Eileen was a great military wife, constantly moving across US and Canada and holding down the home front while he was deployed to Japan for a year and then to Thule, Greenland. Their final move together in 1964 was to Dover-Foxcroft, ME, Eileen‘s hometown, where he retired from the Air Force. After her husband’s death she finished raising her children by herself, the youngest only 5 years old. She never remarried. She was a strong and wonderful woman whose home was always open to her children’s friends as they were growing up. There was always room for one more at her plentiful dinner table. She was well known as a great cook who always sang while she was cooking with a dish towel thrown over her shoulder. She was also famous for her contagious laughter as she was always laughing and chatting with everyone. She moved from Maine to Winter Haven, FL in 1977 with her youngest child, Gary. She also loved to dance, particularly the jitterbug and polka. For many years she loved to attend the afternoon tea dances at the Winter Haven American Legion, often accompanied by her longtime friend and neighbor from Dover-Foxcroft, ME, Greta Lanpher. She had a lot of friends, memories and fun at the Legion dances. Eileen also love to sing especially with two sisters Evangeline and Jeanne. When they were young the pretty trio “The LaPointe Sisters” would occasionally entertain at small town grange halls and school functions. What would a birthday have been without a phone call from her singing Happy Birthday to you! Until she was 90 she could be seen driving around town in her little yellow Thunderbird sports car. Another example of her outgoing and youthful spirit. Eileen was a much loved, unique and cherished woman and will be missed every day forever. She will be put to rest next to her husband and two sons in the family plots in Dover Foxcroft, Maine. Memorial service will be held in the spring, in May in Maine. The time and place will be posted later in the local papers.