Carrie Morse

BRADENTON, FL - Carrie Morse, 87 of Bradenton, FL, formerly of Gorham, Maine passed peacefully on May 4, 2018 at BayVue Nursing and Rehab Center in Bradenton, FL. Carrie was born April 3, 1931 in Conway, NH to Parker and Amy Drown. Carrie often related that she had come into the world 'right on the border' of Maine and New Hampshire. Carrie would then go on to say that it was so close, in fact, that while she had been born at home in her parents' bedroom, making her a New Hampshire resident; had she been born in the living room she would have had to say that she had been born in the state of Maine. Her family moved to Southern Maine eventually, where Carrie attended Windham Schools, graduating from Windham High School in 1949 along with her classmate Beverly Verrill who would eventually marry Carrie's older brother Logan and become Carrie's sister in law, and life-long friend. Never one to stray far from her roots, Carrie worked as a waitress in North Conway, NH after high school, spending the summer with a beloved aunt, where she met her eventual husband, Burton Morse, Jr. of Brownfield, Maine. Carrie and Burton married in Portsmouth, NH in 1951, residing for a time in Watertown, NY, and then settled in Gorham, ME where they welcomed three children into their lives in the 1960s. Carrie and Burton divorced in the early 1980's, but Carrie remained in Gorham in the house they had built where she continued to raise her children and lived until moving to assisted living in Florida near her older son in 2015 after staying for a time near her younger son in Massachusetts. Carrie was employed throughout her working life as a bookkeeper to various businesses and friends before working for several years for the Maine Credit Union League. She eventually became bookkeeper, office manager, and finally assistant manager at the former Unum Employees Credit Union working for her friend and mentor, Susan Mottice. before retiring in the early 2000's and embracing the full-time job of being a lady of leisure. A life-long accounting professional, Carrie prided herself throughout her working years on her attendance record, her loyalty to her employer, and her dedication to her work, as well as keeping a sense of humor despite occasional difficult times. Carrie, an avid baseball and tennis enthusiast throughout her years, also coached softball for school-aged girls in Gorham in the 1970s and 1980s; was active with the Credit Women/Credit Professionals International organization, and was an enthusiastic bowler for many years in the Southern Maine area. In years past; Carrie enjoyed camping with her children, drives to the area she grew up in to show her children all the places she remembered from her own childhood, and passing along stories from her family history. Carrie always stressed the importance of keeping contact with your family, no matter how far and wide they were scattered, as she planted deep roots in New England and remained there for most of her life. In her later teen years and early adulthood, Carrie maintained a loving, devoted relationship with her nephews David Bennett and Russell Nealey, and her niece Tammy Leavitt; all three the children of her older siblings. Carrie said that she loved then as if they were her own while she patiently awaited the opportunity to become a mother herself. Being the youngest of the seven surviving children of Parker and Amy Drown, Carrie considered herself very fortunate to enjoy relationships with a number of nieces and nephews throughout the years of her life, including Judy Tubbs of Maine, Michael Warren of Texas, Dawn Turgeon and Diane Butts of Florida, and many others, prior to and after Carrie fulfilled her desire to become a mother in raising three children of her own. Carrie's three children, Sally-Ann, Jeffrey, and Bradford, all lived in Gorham and attended Gorham public schools. Each of Carrie's three children went on to welcome children of their own into their lives, all of whom Carrie was delighted to share in their lives as well, and was long-lived enough to see great-grandchildren enter her life as well. During the final years of her life, Carrie resided in assisted living in Palmetto, FL. where she welcomed her immediate and extended family in the area as visitors. In speaking with her son, Bradford, after her move to assisted living, Carrie remarked that her life had been very full, and she was grateful for all the blessings she had enjoyed, the greatest of which being entire family and the dear friends whom she felt honored to have been part of all their lives. Up to and on her final day, Carrie was surrounded by loved ones, including her son Jeffrey, daughter in law Jeanette, granddaughter Brittney, and sister in law Paulette Grenier along with Paulette's daughter Lisa Nelson who provided comfort to her in her last hours. The family extends grateful thanks to BayVue Nursing and Rehab of Bradenton, FL for their loving care of Carrie in the recent months. Carrie is pre-deceased by her daughter, Sally-Ann, who passed away in 2012, as well as her siblings and parents. She is survived by her son Jeffrey of Bradenton, FL and her son Bradford of Winthrop, MA, as well as her grandson and granddaughter, Alexander Morse of Virginia and Brittney Hodges of Florida, the children of Jeffrey and his wife Jeanette, and her grandson Aiden, son of Sally-Ann, and her grandson David, son of Bradford. Carrie's family also includes her four great-grandchildren, Aria and Alejandro Morse, children of Alexander and Anastasia Morse of Virginia, Ian Meservey, son of Brittney Hodges, and Adam Hodges, Jr., son of Brittney Hodges and her husband Adam Hodges, Sr., all of Florida, along with the aforementioned nieces and nephews, many great-nieces and -nephews, cousins, and long-time friends Aurilee Crimmons and Beth and Don Fecteau of Maine. The family suggests that anyone wishing to make an offering in tribute to Carrie that it be sent to the Alzheimers Foundation of America. Funeral and burial arrangements are through Dolby, Blais, and Segee of Southern Maine. A funeral service will be held at 10:00am on Saturday, May 19, 2018 at the Windham Chapel of Dolby Blais & Segee, 434 River Road with burial immediately following at Hillside Cemetery on Huston Road, Gorham. There will be a gathering for friends and loved ones after the burial at the home of Lee and Judy Tubbs on the Windham Center Road in Windham.

Carrie Morse

April 3, 1931 - May 4, 2018

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