Marjorie "Marge" Otis Obituary (1946 - 2021)

Topsham - Marjorie Ella (Erskine) Otis, age 74, of Middlesex Road passed away Thursday, April 1st, at home surrounded by family. She was born in Damariscotta on June 27, 1946, the daughter of Harold and Theolyn (Rumill) Erskine and graduated from Lincoln Academy in 1964. In 1967 Marge married Robert Charles Jacobs, known to all as 'Jake,' who passed away in March of 2003. The marriage lasted only a few years but produced both of her daughters. This June would have been the 40th anniversary of her marriage to Alan H Otis. They were together for a few years prior to tying the knot and Alan proposed with a pearl they found on a previous trip to the Caribbean. Marge opened a local convenience store, Erskine’s Store, on Route 218 in Wiscasset in the 70's where she sold everything from gum, to cold drinks, to bags of feed grain, and featured donuts from scratch. She closed the store when she had the opportunity to work for L.C. Andrews of Topsham, where she met Alan and began doing bookkeeping for Oliver H. Otis & Sons part time, also in Topsham. Through her work at L.C. Andrews she developed her design skills and was one of the first three Nationally Certified Kitchen Designers in the State of Maine. Her skills took her to Bold Cabinetry and Mabie Enterprises, both in Kittery. Her official retirement was from Mabie Enterprises. Along with her other employment she had side hustles, a.k.a started her own businesses in three very different areas of expertise; growing hardy mums, buying and selling antiques and, most recently (about 20 years ago!), opened a paint studio. Although her kitchen design and decorative paint studio (both painting and teaching others) is where her passions shined through, and where she found the most satisfaction, she had many hobbies or interests throughout her life. Her love for plants and the outdoors stems from growing up on the family dairy farm and she loved riding her horse as a teen. In her twenties, she earned a win at the Wiscasset Raceway driving her brother-in-law’s stock car and a candlepin bowling title. Cooking was not her 'thing' but she made homemade Kahlua to give as gifts for others. Marge was predeceased by her parents, Harold and Theolyn (Rumill) Erskine of Largo, Florida, sister Beverly Erskine of North Newcastle and brother Charles Erskine of Pittston. Surviving is her husband, Alan H. Otis, daughter Julie Jacobs of Gorham, daughter Jennifer Jacobs and her children, granddaughter Sequoiah Jacobs and grandson Armani Jacobs, all of Topsham. She is survived by her stepson Alan R Otis, his wife Sharon and their two children, Jack Otis and Ally Otis, all of Plymouth, Massachusetts. She is also survived by her nephew, Chad Erskine of Mobile, Alabama, whom she raised through age eighteen. Marge’s family expresses their heartfelt gratitude to Linda (caregiver), the team assigned to care for Marge from CHANS Home Health and Hospice and to dear friends, Angie and Jolene. The family is greatly appreciative of ALL the support Marge received from family, friends, and her paint students, both locally and from a distance, during this challenging journey. Thank you. At Marge’s request there will be no formal services. Family and friends will celebrate Marge’s life with a cookout and bonfire this summer. In honor of her grand-dogs, Rocky and Derby, and her grand-cat, Sophie, memorial donations can be made to Midcoast Humane, Administrative Office, 190 Pleasant Street, Brunswick, Maine, 04011 or midcoasthumane.org. NOTE: Current MHS donations are being matched by anonymous donor!