Obituary of Maxine Teresa Graham
Greenville - On August 28, 2024, Maxine Teresa Graham, 83, joined her daughters, M Janine Bolen and M Janette Lavigne, in heaven.
Maxine was proud, tough, loving, and always told the people she loved exactly what she thought and how she felt. She was a caring empathetic person, who always made sure the people around her were safe and taken care of, no matter the circumstances. As Willow (one of her nine great grandchildren) says, “Gram Graham’s house was always so comfortable.”
She leaves behind her loving husband, Charles “Sparky” Graham. Maxine and Sparky were quite a team, and they took good care of each other. He will miss her independence, cooking, and companionship, as she was a true, honest, and loyal partner. Maxine and Sparky’s love was one of a kind, and drew admiration from the people who love them.
Maxine was born on July 15, 1941, in Houlton, Maine, the third and youngest child of Ida (Levesque) Cyr and Fred J Cyr Sr. Maxine adored her parents. She was a daddy’s girl, and he lovingly referred to her as his “Sunshine”. She lost her father on January 13, 1970, when she was a young mother, just 29 years old. After over a decade of spending every spare moment with her mother in the Greenville, Maine nursing home, she lost her on March 8, 2009. Maxine always made time to give her mother a much enjoyed foot rub.
There were a wide variety of jobs on Maxine’s resume: butcher and clerk at the A&P, novelty sales at the Indian Store, office assistant for John Cobb and Sons, lunch lady at Derby High School in Kansas, personal care attendant for members of the community, business owner, landlord, and cleaning lady at Loring Air force Base, as well as for other highly satisfied clients, because no one can clean and is as neat as Gram Graham. Her personal favorite was as a telemarketer for Moosehead Cottage Resort, side by side with her former sister-in-law and dear, sweet friend, Lois “Colleen” Martin, who was called to heaven in July of 2023.
Maxine was a consistent friend. She had many significant friendships over the years, including Sandra Jaques, her card playing partner. They supported each other and overcame the obstacles present for single mothers in the 1970s. They are both success stories in their own right.
In addition to her daughters Janette and Janine and her parents, she was predeceased by her brother Fred “Junior” Cyr, Jr, and former sister-in-law Colleen, who have all perished during Maxine’s journey. She is survived by her sister-in-law Nancy Cyr and her children Kim, Peter, Brenda, and Cheri; her beloved sister Shirley Labreque and her dedicated husband Leo and their son Leo, known affectionately by the family as Butch. Maxine and Shirley were very close, spoke often, and Maxine and Butch shared a special bond, obvious from the affection they shared when they were together. Maxine and her family always enjoyed the time spent with Shirley’s family.
Along with her husband, she is also survived by her son Michael Martin and his children Cooper, Kyera, and Madelyn; a very special son-in-law Sean Bolen; her stepdaughter Amanda Simko and her husband John and their daughter Ashley and two sons Sam and Chris; her stepdaughter Julie and her daughter Caroline; her granddaughter Justine Lavigne and her fiancé Jeremy and their three sons Henry, Waylon, and Walter; her grandson Ryan Bolen and his wife Feixia and their three sons Max, Alex, and Jax; her granddaughter Amber Farrington and her husband Jeff, their daughter Willow and their sons Alder and Banyan; her granddaughter Kelly Bolen and her fiancé Aaron; her grandson Nicholas Lavigne and his wife Skye; and her grandson Joseph “Jojo” Pelletier.
Janette and Janine's children filled Gram Graham’s home with love, energy, and chaos. It takes a village to raise a family, and Maxine was an important part of each of their lives. She loved each of them passionately, treating them equally with an absolute insistence that they follow the rules of Gram Graham’s house. And follow they did, at least for the most part. Gram Graham made it her duty to impart wisdom to her grandchildren who will forever be sharing memories of their overnight visits with her. In the days leading up to her death she consistently said, with great conviction, “believe people.” Her great insight could often be summed up in a few simple words, leaving all to ponder the deeper meaning behind those words.
Maxine and her son Michael were always close. They spoke often and discussed topics from politics, human rights, reincarnation, and planning for the future. Maxine was an incredible planner and always took care of the details. She planned her own burial because she didn’t want to trouble others with the details of her death. She was highly respected and loved watching her kids and grandkids play sports and participate in life. There was no prouder moment for Michael than when his youngest, Madelyn, another daddy's girl, said “When I’m older, I want to have a life just like Gram; with the way she thinks, handles situations, her cleanliness, and her caring personality. I strive to live a life like her.”
A graveside committal service will be held at the family lot in the Greenville Cemetery on October 12 at 10 am. Arrangements are in the care of the Lary Funeral Home. Messages of condolence and memories may be expressed at www.laryfuneralhome.com.
Saturday
12
October
Committal Service
10:00 am
Saturday, October 12, 2024
Greenville Cemetery
Cemetery Lane
Greenville, Maine, United States
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