Mary B. Erskine

SOUTH PORTLAND – Mary B. Erskine, 83, of Pine Haven Terrace, died peacefully on Friday, Feb. 11, 2022 at her home with her loving family by her side.

She was born in Portland on Dec. 27, 1938, the daughter of the late Joseph A. and Dorothea M. (Wilkinson) Norton. She attended local schools and graduated from South Portland High School in the class of 1957.

On Jan. 30, 1960 she married the love of her life, Arvin D. “GE” Erskine at St. John’s Church. Her son, Jaimie said “Mom seemed to lose her zest for life when Dad died on Thanksgiving Day 2000. I remember him bringing home a bright red rose for mom every single Friday, right up until the day he passed away”.

Mary worked for New England Telephone Company in the Engineering Department, Fairchild Semi – Conductor as work leader in Quality Control, Fran-A-Grams as an office manager, Continental Airlines in security, Hannaford Supermarket, she currently was working as an usher for the Portland Sea Dogs a position she has held since opening day April 19, 1994. She loved her Sea Dog family, she served as a “Host Mom” for four Sea Dogs players and even wrote a poem about the lighthouse at Hadlock Field. She loved to be around people, baseball, and had many friends in the Major Leagues that she met at spring training at Winter Haven Red Sox Camp.

She volunteered and participated in many different groups, the Casco Bay Cloggers and Windham Country at Heart Cloggers, served as secretary for the St. John’s Women’s Bowling League, president and co-founder of Mary Jean’s Couples Bowling League, the Jimmy Fund Council, coached a girls’ softball team and played softball for Sonny’s Auto Sales when, in 1970, they were undefeated and won the state championship. When WPOR announced that they needed volunteers to load bales of hay in boxcars to send to South Carolina, Mary spent three days loading boxcars at Rigby Yard.

In her spare-time she loved roller skating and played on a roller hockey team for several years. She enjoyed knitting, quilting, sewing, crocheting, travel, dancing and was able to play the piano, clarinet, accordion, guitar, xylophone and ukulele. She earned her motorcycle license taking her test in a snow storm. She loved riding around town in her red Mustang convertible and always commented that her grandkids were “The Best in the World”.

Mary was predeceased by her husband, Arvin D. “GE” Erskine; a brother, John F. Norton.

She is survived by her four sons, Joseph and his wife Samantha Erskine of Massachusetts, John and his wife Michelle Erskine of South Portland, James and his wife Belinda Erskine of Cape Elizabeth, and Jarrod Erskine and his companion, Jolene Pike of South Portland; 12 grandchildren, Morgan, Lou, Riley, Philip, McKenzie, Geoffrey, Andy, Grace, Katelin, Shane, Noah and Brayden; three great-grandchildren; two sisters, Jan Williams of South Portland and Cheri and her husband Richard Culleton of Scarborough.

Her boys would like to give a special thank you to her best friend and neighbor of over 60 years, Joyce Newcomb, for being like a second mom and for all of her unconditional love and support.

Visiting hours celebrating Mary’s life will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 15 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Conroy-Tully Walker South Portland Chapel, 1024 Broadway, South Portland. Prayers will be recited at the chapel at 10:15 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 16 followed by an 11 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial at St. Maximilian Kolbe Church, 150 Black Point Road, Scarborough. Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery, South Portland. To view Mary’s memorial page, or to share an online condolence, please visit http://www.ConroyTullyWalker.com

Those who wish may make contributions in Mary’s memory to:

The Jimmy Fund,

danafarber.jimmyfund.org