Florence Mary Durgin

PARIS — Florence Mary Durgin, 92, passed away on March 2, 2013 at the Hospice House in Auburn. She was born on October 14, 1920 in Paris, to Austin and Ida (Lowell) Stearns. She attended Paris High School where she played basketball, and participated in the orchestra and glee club. She graduated in 1939. She was a WAAC from September 1943 to October 1945. She served as secretary to Liaison Officer, 9th Air Force. She spent time during her deployment in Scotland and England.

On December 26, 1945 she married her high school sweetheart, Stanley Durgin. They made their home on Paris Hill for 65 years where they raised their family. When her children were young, Mrs. Durgin was a homemaker but when they got into school she began working at the Fox School as a secretary. She was transferred to the SAD 17 Superintendent’s office where she worked as their payroll clerk until she retired at age 62.

In her retirement she enjoyed gardening and she was an avid reader. She liked eating out and going for rides all over the Oxford Hills. You never knew where she and her husband would show up. She loved to laugh; she was quite a joker. She’d laugh with you, at you or even at herself. She lived a long and active life full of family and friends. She loved her grandchildren and spent a lot of time with them over the years. She and her husband went to all of their school activities and ball games. She was their biggest fan. For the past 10 years she has been spoiling her great-grandchildren.

Mrs. Durgin is survived by her daughter, Vickie Matero and husband Stan of Gray; son, Larry and wife Tara of Greenwood; granddaughter, Jessica Richardson and husband Phil; grandson, Kaleb Durgin and wife Heidi; grandson, Kinsey Durgin and Pernille; great-grandchildren, Kyle, Ashley Graycee Richardson, Kaydence Durgin and her brother, due in June; step-grandchildren, David and Cathy Matero and their son Oskar, Karen Matero and Tim and Angie Matero and their son Jordan; sisters, Lura, Ruth, Isabelle and Virginia and a brother, Harry. She was predeceased by her husband, Stan; her brothers, Roger and Hubert and sisters, Frances and Isadore.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, March 9 at 11 a.m. at Chandler Funeral Homes & Cremation Service, 45 Main St., South Paris. In lieu of flowers donations may be sent to the Hospice House, Androscoggin Home Care and Hospice, PO Box 819, Lewiston, ME 04240. Online condolences may be shared with her family at www.chandlerfunerals.com.