WILTON – Priscilla June (Wade) Coffin Petrie, 88, passed quietly at her Wilton home in the early morning hours of Friday April 21 surrounded by family.
Priscilla was born in Worcester, Massachusetts at 11:59 p.m. on February 18, 1929, the second child of five children, and the first daughter of Chester E. Wade and Hazel E. (Maxim) Wade Draper.
Priscilla’s mother called her “June bug” from an early age. Growing up and into her adult years, she preferred to be called June.
June grew up in Rumford, Maine at the top of Fall’s Hill in the area called Virginia. She is proud to have been a friend of Edmund Muskie who grew up in Virginia as well.
June graduated from Stephen’s Memorial High School in Rumford in 1949. Beneath her yearbook picture it read, “Dynamite comes in small packages.”
Two weeks after graduation June married Wallace M. Coffin on June 13th, 1949 at his home in Phillips, Maine.
June and Wallace lived in Phillips for a short period of time, eventually purchasing a home in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, where they raised their nine children. June and the children spent every summer in Phillips, eventually, moving back to Phillips in 1970.
In 1987, June married Dennis (Denny) Petrie. She had met Denny when she was 15 and when Denny’s sister, Cora, married June’s oldest brother Clifford. June lived with her husband Denny at his home in Connecticut. Both June and Denny missed their families and eventually re-located back to Maine. June had a favorite saying that Denny would say to her “no matter how tough the winter I’ve still got June to look forward to. I can stand any Fall and Winter, because I’ve got June all year around.”
June was a homemaker. She enjoyed caring for her grandchildren, her flower gardens and decorating her home. Birthdays, holidays and family gatherings/reunions were always special occasions. Her favorite color was lavender (purple) and she enjoyed playing cards and Yahtzee. Playing Croquet was her favorite outdoor game. In the summer and fall she always had a croquet game set up. June also loved to dance and read books. As a teenager, June babysat for neighbors Arthur and Evette Roy. The youngest child, Michael, was always with June and her friends often teased her by saying Michael was her son.
During her senior year of high school the class was involved in an outdoor project; June chose to work at Davis Florist and learned about all the many facets of the business. Her favorite part was making flower arrangements. June touched the lives of many with compassion and kindness, caring for Ruth and Lewis Chouinard in Hopkinton, Mass., and as a Home Health Aide in Franklin and Oxford counties in Maine. She was a warm and loving person, never judgmental and always a great listener.
June was always well dressed and never left the house without lipstick on and tissues in her pockets.
June was a member of the New Vineyard Red Hat Society and the Reed’s Mill Sewing circle. She attended Bible Study meetings in New Vineyard at the home of Agnes Bestwick. She was a member of the Living Waters Assembly of God Church and the Rangeley Congregational Church. June was very blessed and thankful for the gift of a prayer shawl made for her by members of the Rangeley Congregational Church.
June was preceded in death by her father; Chester, mother; Hazel and stepfather; Clinton Draper, her husbands; Wallace Coffin and Dennis Petrie, her stepson; Robert W. Coffin, brothers; Clifford Wade, Samuel Wade, sister; Patricia Guy, daughter-in-law; Joanne Coffin and grandson; Michael Rowe.
June is survived by her children; Melanie Smith and her husband Thomas of Hopkinton, Massachusetts, Sean Coffin of Gilford, N.H., Paul Coffin of Wilton, Priscilla Bean and her husband Kendall of Farmington, Elise Plog of Wilton, Stuart Coffin of East Dixfield, Deborah Rowe and her Husband Jeffrey of Wilton, Karen Rowe and her husband Allen Robert of Wilton and Marcia Cook and her husband Scott of Jay, eighteen grandchildren; David Smith, Jason Smith, Sean Coffin II, Sonja Froede, Heather DeCourcey, Matthew White, Dylan Bean, Spencer Bean, Adam Coffin, Jordan Plog, Benjamin Blodgett, Chelsea Coffin, Jeffrey Rowe Jr., Justin Rowe, Jonathan Rowe, Jessica Rickards, Amanda Rickards, Tyler Trask, step grandchildren; Lori Coffin Sloane and Jeff Coffin, fifteen great grandchildren; Kelsey Smith, Samantha Smith, Hunter Smith, Josephine Bonoceto, Mason Coffin, Ryan DeCourcey, Mason Rowe, Nicholas Rowe, Alyssa Rowe, Weston Rowe, Grayson Rowe, Adelia Stinchfield, Tessa Searles, Isabella St. Claire, one great great grandchild; Lyla Terry, brother; Jerald Wade and his wife Elaine of Bangor and best friend of over forty years; Wilma Plog of Edgewood Nursing Home, Farmington, and many loving nieces and nephews and wonderful family friends.
Please join June’s children and their families for a memorial service, celebrating the life and lifetime of June on Friday morning, April 28at 11 a.m. at the Wiles Remembrance Center, 137 Farmington Falls Rd., (Rtes. 2 & 27) Farmington. Her family suggests sharing condolences and tributes on her memorial wall at www.wilesrc.com.
Remembrance gifts may be given in her memory to Androscoggin Home Care and Hospice 15 Strawberry Ave. Lewiston, Me. 04240.
Special thanks to Dr. Kristen Sanden, Tim Davis, Dr. Zachary Blakeman, Dr. Ted McGillicuddy, Dr. John Love, Dr. West and Rene. Thanks and appreciation to Androscoggin Home Care and Hospice, Care & Comfort.
The family would also like to thank the Wiles Funeral Home staff for their care and kindness to June and her family.
Priscilla June, we will certainly miss your lovely smile and shining eyes. It was always a pleasure and a privilege to spend time with you and your family. Another bright light now shines in heaven. My condolences to June’s families for their loss.
Marcia, so sorry to hear of your mom’s passing. Wish I had kept in touch with her the last few yrs. She was a beautiful lady. Thoughts and prayer to the entire family..
Dear Debbie, Jeff and family, my sincere condolences at the lost of your mother(in-law) and grandmother.
My thoughts are with your entire family. May she rest in peace.
June was a wonderful lady. Thoughts and prayers with her family.
Marcia, I am so very sorry for your loss. Your mom was always so kind when we were neighbors. Sending peaceful juju your way.