Family and friends will gather Thursday at Lindquist Funeral Home in Yarmouth to mourn and honor Lee Whittier, a devoted wife and mother who dedicated her life to serving others.
Mrs. Whittier, known by many as “Tinker,” died on Dec. 18 after being struck by a vehicle on Middle Street in Portland. She was 82.
The accident happened one week before Christmas. Mrs. Whittier had been shopping at the Maine Mall earlier in the day before driving into Portland for an appointment.
It was a dark and rainy night, and she was wearing a dark jacket as she crossed Middle Street near the Portland police station. She was struck by a 2005 Honda CR-V sport utility vehicle about 5:20 p.m. and was rushed to Maine Medical Center, where she later died from her injuries.
In the weeks since, family members have struggled to understand why Mrs. Whittier, a kind and good woman who gave so generously to others, could die so suddenly.
“She was a great woman who was always open and willing to help whoever she could,” said her son Stephen Whittier. “She had three sons, who loved the heck out of her. We absolutely put her through her paces. We were a handful. She loved having us around with our friends. It was just … the more the merrier.”
Mrs. Whittier had a blessed life. She grew up in Albany, New York, and studied art at Manhattanville College. She went on to become an art teacher at the Albany Academy for Girls.
Around that time, she met her future husband, Charles Whittier.
They got married and moved to Maine. The couple lived briefly in Yarmouth, Ellsworth and Bath before settling back in Yarmouth.
Her son laughed, recalling the antics he pulled in his youth. Between the ages of 5 and 21, the young Whittier had 25 broken bones and hundreds of stitches. He spoke with admiration and gratitude for his mother’s unconditional love and support.
“I was constantly on the go and trying everything and anything. If my brothers challenged me to (do) something, I did it,” he said. “We ran free. We were free-range kids. She was unbelievably supportive of that. She drew the line when she had to. For the most part, it worked out well.”
Mrs. Whittier stayed home to raise her children while her husband worked. Her son said she kept them busy.
“She kept us playing hockey and basketball,” he said. “We would ski on the weekends. She would pack the food and head up the mountain for the day. Three boys, a dog, a cat and all this food in a 1968 or 1969 Volkswagen Squareback. It was a zoo. It was a blast.”
Mrs. Whittier was remembered by loved ones as a woman of strong faith and conviction, who brought warmth and love to those around her. Throughout her life, she advocated for people with mental health and addiction issues.
Mrs. Whittier had a lifelong passion for art. She enjoyed painting and taking pictures. She had a thing for disposable cameras, but never developed the film on them. Last week, her son developed the film from 103 cameras, roughly 2,000 pictures that spanned nine years or so. He said she loved taking pictures of things she found beautiful, such as flowers, the ocean and sunsets.
“It was neat to go through the pictures and see that aspect of her art coming through at 82,” he said.
In flipping through the pictures, her son added that most of them were of her grandchildren, all seven of them.
“Her love of her grandkids was evident, impressive and quite moving,” he said. “She wanted to have pictures of every moment she possibly could with them.”
One of the last times he saw his mother, she talked about having his kids for a sleepover.
Melanie Creamer can be contacted at 791-6361 or at:
Twitter: MelanieCreamer
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