Arline F. Blaxland, 65, of Pemaquid, passed away on the morning of Nov. 22 at her home with her loving family by her side. Born on Aug. 11, 1947 in the Bronx, N.Y., she was the daughter of William and Mary Jane Brennan.
Arline was an avid tennis player and a huge fan of the sport. When not home taking care of her family or cooking (another passion of hers), she could be found on the tennis court. Playing out of the Wilbraham Tennis Club in Massachusetts before moving to Maine, she played USTA matches on both double and mixed doubles teams at 3.5 and 4.0. A number of those teams went on to sectional and regional playoffs. When not playing USTA, she was always in local and regional tournaments.
One of her biggest concerns about moving to Maine was not being able to find people to play tennis with. She joined the CLC YMCA in Damariscotta where she played during the winter. She often commented that not only did she meet so many good tennis players, but also made so many good friends.
As soon as the snow melted, she wanted to be outdoors, either on a tennis court or playing in the yard; cooking became secondary. Her favorite summer hideout was a court on Snowball Hill Road in Bristol. After her matches, she couldn’t wait to get home and tell all about her conquests. Sometimes, those stories took as long as the matches themselves. Recently, while in the hospital, she told the doctors about her tennis and commented that she had the best summer ever playing tennis.
She was known for her wit, humor, passion for life, and most of all her love.
She is survived by her husband, Terry E. Hatch; daughters, Mary Blaxland and Jacqueline Corina; daughter-in-law, Holly Corina; and grandchildren, Amy and Kevin.
At the request of the family, there will be no visiting hours or service.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Arline’s memory may be made to either the Bristol First Responders, 104 South Side Rd., New Harbor, ME 04554 or to the Northern New England branch of the American Cancer Society, 1 Bowdoin Mill Island, Suite 300, Topsham, ME 04086.
Condolences, and messages for the family, may be expressed by visiting www.StrongHancock.com.
Arrangements are under the direction and care of the Strong-Hancock Funeral Home, 612 Main St., Damariscotta.
