Maxine Ruth Beane, 92, died peacefully in her sleep on March 17, at her daughter’s home in Amherst, N.H. Maxine was born Feb. 27, 1931 in Waldoboro, to Albert Shuman and Hazel Heyer Shuman. She graduated from Waldoboro High School in 1949.
After graduating from high school, Maxine worked as a school secretary and as an assistant nurse in Camden. She was married to her high school sweetheart, Merrick Beane, on Dec. 8, 1952. After Merrick’s discharge from the Navy, the newlyweds moved to Wisconsin where Merrick attended Milwaukee School of Engineering. In later years, Maxine and Merrick lived and worked in Syracuse, N.Y., Liverpool, N.Y., and Chelmsford, Mass. At the time of Merrick’s retirement in 1996, they moved to their final home in Nashua, N.H.
Maxine was known as a high-energy personality. She and Merrick enjoyed gardening and landscaping their own property, and could often be found planting and tending to flowering trees and shrubs on weekends. Among other hobbies and leisure pursuits, Maxine particularly loved oldies pop hits, spirituals, and gospel music. She frequently played these selections on her own piano and organ at home. Also, Maxine wrote many of her own spiritual songs, and Merrick enjoyed preserving her performances on tape and CD.
As a young person, Maxine participated in a women’s trio at church. Later, she was a member and Sunday school teacher at Lutheran churches, near her residences in New York and Massachusetts. Finally, Maxine and Merrick were also members of Grace Chapel in Lexington, Mass.
Maxine was predeceased by her husband, Merrick I. Beane, in January of 2022; and by a sister, Dorothy Sprague, in July of the same year. She is survived by her daughter, Pamela Ramirez, of Amherst, N.H.; and by her sister, Alberta Walter, of Waldoboro; and brother, Richard Shuman, of Wiscasset.
A graveside service to celebrate Maxine’s life will be held at 11 a.m. on May 3 at the Shuman Cemetery in Waldoboro. Arrangements are entrusted to Hall Funeral Home and Crematory at 949 Main St., Waldoboro, ME 04572. Condolences may be shared with the family at hallfuneralhomes.com.
