SACO — Albanie “Barnie” McCallum, 92, of Saco passed away during the sunrise hour Wednesday, March 8, 2017, at Gosnell Memorial Hospice House in Scarborough with loving family at her side.

She was born in Biddeford on Sept. 22, 1924, the daughter of Myrteza Chaush and Rhea Potvin Chaush.  She was educated in Biddeford schools. Although Barnie never favored her birth name of Albanie, she was very proud of her Albanian and French Canadian heritage.

On June 1, 1939, she accepted a walk to and from the Mutual Theater with Richard McCallum. Richard nick named her “Barnie” and told her he would marry her someday. On July 23, 1944, they were married and during Richard’s twenty year career in the US Marine Corps, they raised a family and traveled from the east coast to the west coast a total of eight times with only their prized possessions in a 1936 Dodge, their children. Returning to Maine in 1963 to the home that Richard was born and raised in, Barnie’s happiness was always measured by “as long as I am with Richard”, she was happy anywhere.

Barnie enjoyed being a homemaker and raising her family with her husband. She was employed locally in various positions but her true love was family and of course golf. At Richards urging she finally took up golf in 1975, she was a long time member of the Biddeford Saco Country Club and the Southern Maine Women’s Golf Association. She was known for her photography hobby and chronicled many golf tournaments all across the state. She had a great sense of humor, and was known for telling a good joke amongst her many golfing buddies. She enjoyed teeing off with her best friend Ruth Desrochers and their many outings of shopping and lunching together and enjoying their mutual grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Barnie took delight in all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, she loved to travel across the country visiting the many military families that truly became part of her family. She loved her trip to Italy, especially to the Vatican. She also took a trip in a glass bottomed helicopter over the Grand Canyon to honor her 80th birthday. Other than her visit to the Vatican, she said the Grand Canyon was the most spiritual experience of her life. 

She was preceded in death by: her husband, Richard, on May 20, 1991.

She is survived by: her four children, Caryl Harkins and her husband, Thomas, Sandra McCallum, Mark B. McCallum and his wife, Kathleen, and Valerie Desrochers and her husband, Barry. She is also survived by: nine grandchildren, Dan, Barbara, Michael, Jason, Keith, Richard, Jake, Ryan and Matthew, fifteen great grandchildren, one sister Helene Mantini and one nephew John Marshall.

Visiting hours will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, March 10, 2017, at Cote Funeral Home Chapel, 87 James St., Saco. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 11, 2017, at Most Holy Trinity Church in Saco. Burial will follow in Laurel Hill Cemetery, Saco. To view Barnie’s memorial page or leave an online condolence, please visit cotefuneralhome.com

 The family would like to thank Chuck and Kathy and the entire staff at Skippers Restaurant for their kindness to Barnie over the years and special thanks to Bernadette Marcotte for her care and support during this difficult time.

Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider a donation in Barnie’s name to Gosnell Memorial Hospice House, or to any of the many Veterans Support groups including Easterseals Maine or locally to maryswalk.org.

 

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