Lauretta Bisonnette Murphy, 98, of Damariscotta, passed away peacefully from natural causes on Dec. 31, 2014. Lauretta was born on April 1, 1916 in Middleboro, Mass. and graduated from Simmons College in 1936. Lauretta also lived in Hempstead, N.Y., Los Altos, Cal. and Baltimore, Md. before making Damariscotta her home in 2012 at Chase Point Assisted Living.
Lauretta cherished the close friendships made in each community where she lived. She loved the performing arts, especially the theatre. An avid reader, Lauretta took much joy from a well-told story and spent many hours getting “lost” in a good book. She also loved to travel, having visited many countries over the years and making life-long friends in England and Austria.
She is preceded in death by her first husband, Abbott Maeder; second, husband, Edward Murphy; parents, Margaret Bissonette and Adrien Bissonette; and children, Peter Maeder, and Elizabeth Murphy.
She is survived by her son, Christopher Murphy and wife Nan Elisabeth Murphy of Alna; sister, Jean Brewster of Scotts Valley, Cal.; and sister-in-law, Kathryn Carey of Bristol, Conn.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Lauretta’s memory to the children’s and family nonprofit literacy organization, Reading is Fundamental, 1730 Rhode Island Ave. NW, 11th floor, Washington, DC 20036, www.rif.org.
Arrangements are under the care of Direct Cremation of Maine, 182 Waldo Ave., Belfast.
