Lucile Clark Lishness Obituary (1916 - 2011)

Portland-Lucile Clark Lishness passed gently away on October 15th at the Barron Center in Portland under the care of an exceptional and caring staff. Lucile was born in Sanford, Maine on December 7th, 1916, the eldest child of Mildred and G. Oscar Clark. She graduated from Farmington State Normal School, where she met her future husband, Charles P. Lishness, Jr. She spent the majority of her teaching career in Bath, committing 36 years to teaching first-graders how to read and adjust to life in school. Settling with her family in Brunswick after World War II, she was very active in the United Methodist Church, building the church library and organizing the first ecumenical vacation bible school that included young people and teachers of all faiths. She volunteered as a homestay coordinator for the Experiment in International Living, finding local host families for groups from Japan, India, Spain, Columbia and numerous other countries. She welcomed many visiting students into our home, including Ali Abdirahim Hersi from Somalia and Andreas Reiss from Germany. These initially brief international visits have resulted in lifelong, multi-generational family friendships. She was also very active in the international programs of the Lions Club. Upon retiring from teaching, Lucile opened Blue Shutter Antiques, a shop specializing in Shaker and other textiles and early American household furnishings. She enjoyed spending time at her family’s camp on Square Pond in Shapleigh, and re-built the cottage originally designed by her grandfather in 1900. She was an extremely talented seamstress, sewing many of her own clothes and those of her family, as well as stenciling and making quilts. She was also recognized as an exceptional baker, baking pies for a Brunswick restaurant. She was predeceased by her brother, Kerwin, her sister, Priscilla, her husband, Charles P. Lishness, Jr., and her son-in-law, Mark Bancroft. She will be sorely missed by her daughter, Susan, son, Alan and daughter-in-law, Debbie Peck, granddaughters Fiona McCabe, Amanda Marullo and Emma Lishness, and grandson, Tom Lishness, as well as great-granddaughter Erin McCabe and great-grandsons Aidan McCabe and Nicholas and Conor Marullo. The family will hold a private graveside service. Arrangements are by Stetson’s Funeral Home 12 Federal St. Brunswick where memorial condolences may be expressed at stetsonsfuneralhome.com