Mary B (Berryment) Needham

Mary B. Needham, 87 died peacefully, Friday, Dec.16, at Bellavita in Scarborough. Mary was born on Dec.4, 1929 in Westbrook, the daughter of James and Lydia (Mosher) Berryment. She grew up in Westbrook, graduating from Westbrook High School in 1948. She then went on to Bates College, where she majored in Latin. It was during her freshman year at Bates that Mary met Bob Cagenello, and the two married at the Bates Chapel in the fall of 1952, the year they graduated. They resided in the Hartford, CT area where they raised three children, Debbie, Scott, and Lisa. Mary was a proud homemaker, happy in her role as a loving wife and mother, remaining a stay at home mother until her children were grown. She utilized her college degree and taught Latin in the 1970’s in the West Hartford, CT school system. Mary’s passion was cooking and entertaining. She loved nothing more than trying out recipes and using her family as “guinea pigs” to try out new dishes for a future cookbook she and her best friend Anita published. They proudly owned and operated the Happy Cookers Cooking School while simultaneously studying and learning new concepts from famous chefs: Julia Child, James Beard, and Maurice Moore-Betty, to name a few. Mary commuted multiple times from CT to New York City, graduating from the Cordon Bleu School, and later studying at the Cordon Bleu in London, England and La Varenne, Ecole de Cuisine in Paris, France. Mary’s beloved husband of 38 years, Bob passed away on Jan. 13, 1990. She was so so fortunate to meet and marry her second husband, John (“Jack”) Needham on Dec. 14, 1996. Together they enjoyed traveling to all corners of the glove, fishing in northern, Maine, and entertaining family and friends at their home in Cape Elizabeth. They particularly enjoyed spending summer at Ward’s Cove on Sebago Lake, which Mary had done since her childhood. Sadly, Jack passed away on June 1, 2016. Mary is survived by and greatly missed by two daughters and sons –in-law, Deborah and Richard Sexton of North Carolina, Lisa and Craig Richardson of West Newfield, a granddaughter, Meryl Richardson of Waterboro; she is pre-deceased by a son, Scott Cagenello. The family wishes to thank Mary’s Bellavita family of two years. The care, love, and friendship she was given during her stay was priceless and she loved you all in return. She relished being your sassy “Miss America.” Thank you also to Beacon Hospice for the respectful, kind, and intuitive care you brought her and our family. Funeral arrangements will be private and handled by Blais & Hay Funeral Home, Westbrook. Condolences may be expressed at blaisandhayfunerahome.com There will be a Celebration of Life at Sebago Lake in the Spring.