Anita Georgette James

Anita Georgette James of South Portland, Maine passed away on Friday, December 11, 2015 at the Gosnell Memorial Hospice House in Scarborough surrounded by her two daughters. Anita was born in Westbrook on July 20, 1931 the daughter of Joseph L. and Laura Keenan (Begin) Martin. On May 5, 1951 Anita married Philip William James of Portland at St. Hyacinth Church in Westbrook. The newlyweds lived in Portland for a few years before settling in South Portland to raise a family. Anita held various jobs over the years: a CNA at Maine Medical Center, Switchboard operator for a medical office and food service associate at Mahoney Middle School. Phil was the love of Anita’s life and both loved to travel. The Chateau Frontenac was one of Anita’s favorite destinations when exploring Quebec City with its rich history, French culture and pastries! She was drawn to the excitement of New York City, seeing Broadway shows, sampling pastries at ethnic bakeries, and dining at Tavern on the Green in Central Park. They both traveled to Rome in 1991 to visit their son Thomas who was living there and renewed their marriage vows on the occasion of their 40th wedding anniversary in a private ceremony at St. Peter’s Basilica. During their visit to Italy, Anita fell in love with the city of Florence and enjoyed the art, culture and of course the jewelry shops on the Ponte Vecchio. She loved retelling the stories of having dinner in the dining car on the train ride from Florence back to Rome during a raging rainstorm and having lunch al fresco in Sorrento overlooking the lemon trees and the sea. Anita was a vivid story teller and at times a comedian. She had a wonderful sense of humor and thrived in social gatherings. An avid baker, Anita’s pies were her pride and joy. Anita was also an accomplished pianist. Some of her favorite pieces she enjoyed playing included Tchaikovsky’s “Waltz of the Flowers” from the Nutcracker and “Swaying Daffodils” by Overlade. She was also a person of deep spiritual faith and was a communicant of Holy Cross Church. Anita is survived by sons Thomas E. James of South Ft. Myers, FL; Dennis P. James and his wife Karen and their daughter Audrey of Cornish and son Cpl. Evan Ouellette, USMC and his wife Renee and their son Silas of Jackson, NC; daughters Patricia (Patsy) K. and husband John W. Greene of Scarborough; and Nancy A. Cote of South Portland; nieces Heather Graffam Boughman, Althea Gill Lane, Keenan Martin; and nephew Robert T. Gill. Anita will be dearly missed by close family friends: Amy Panagakos, Ron Cabibihan, Margaret Anderson, Bill & Juliana Fleck, the Blanchard family, Isabel & Ron Schoenfeld in addition to all the cousins on Prince Edward Island. Anita was predeceased by her beloved husband Philip, daughter Sally Ann, son Timothy; sisters Mary Rose Graffam, Marguerite Gill, Frances Martin and brother Philip Martin. Family and friends are invited to attend a celebration of Anita’s life on Saturday, December 19, 2015 at 10:00 am at the All Faiths Chapel, on the campus of SMCC, 71 Fort Road, South Portland. Interment committal service will follow at 11:30 in Calvary Cemetery (Section S), 1461 Broadway, South Portland To Express online condolences please go to www.blaisandhayfuneralhome.com

Anita Georgette James

July 30, 1931 - December 11, 2015

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