IN MEMORIAM
The names of the deceased below have been received by Thornton Academy since Postscripts was last published . We rely on friends and family to send us obituaries ( especially for alumni who live outside of Maine ) by mail or through a form on our website : thorntonacademy . org / stayintouch .
IN MEMORIUM
1943 Irving Backman in May 2022 1945 Gene West in April 2022 1948 Robert Cardin in May 2022 1948 Mark Gould in April 2018 1952 Jane Tucker Miller , date unknown 1952 Forrest Tripp in June 2022 1953 Robert Purvis in March 2022 1954 Paul Genthner in February 2022 1955 Priscilla Pate Gilbert in February 2022 1955 Patten Ward Libby in March 2022 1955 Robert Poitras in March 2022 1956 Patricia Gerry St . Pierre in November 2020 1956 Jessie Clark Whittemore in February 2002 1957 Barbara Norrad Keezer in February 2022 1958 Carole Warren Spiller in April 2022 1959 Max Brandtin May 2022 1959 Kelvin Taylor in December 2020 1960 Bernard Nadeau in April 2022 1961 Jackie Bartlett Colomb in April 2022 1961 Carol Emerson Chadbourne in March 2017 1962 Margaret Colomb Reed in June 2022 1963 Linda Harris in August 2022 1963 Mary Reilly Couture in May 2022 1965 John Howard in February 2022 1966 Eugene Meserve in August 2022 1970 Nancy McGaffin Bolduc in July 2022 1970 Stacey Rowe in March 2022 1971 Kristin Morang Schoepf in October 2021 1972 Melissa Hemingway in December 2021 1972 Roger Meserve in February of 2021 1976 Stephen Fogg in April 2022 1976 George Giovanis in July 2022 1977 Scott Pierson in April 2018 1993 Jennifer Boudreau in July 2022 2002 Merlin Ellingwood in August 2017 2011 Andrew Countway in June 2022
James H . Leary , Class of 1947
Jim Leary passed away on March 16 , 2021 , at his home in Saco , after a short illness .
Jim was born Feb . 2 , 1930 , the son of Millard and Mabelle ' 22 ( Gay ) Leary . The family moved from Scarborough to Flag Pond Road in Saco in 1943 when his parents bought the family farm after the death of his uncle , Edwin Gay .
After graduating from Thornton , Jim immediately began his long career as a dairy farmer . Aside from help with haying , he ran the family farm by himself until his children grew old enough to assist him .
Jim married Edna Lilley of Scarborough in 1957 , and together they raised six children : Janet Leary-Prowse ‘ 76 , Timothy Leary ‘ 77 , Joanne Feenstra ‘ 79 , Joyce Leary Clark ‘ 81 , June Leary ‘ 84 , and Thomas Leary ‘ 85
His children recall him telling stories of driving cans of milk to Ladd ’ s Dairy in the mornings on his way to high school . He milked the cows twice daily without a break until the 1980s .
Jim was very interested in local history , and loved to collect old postcards , milk bottles , and books about Maine history . He was a member of the Scarborough and Saco Historical Societies , and served on the Saco Zoning Board of Appeals and Conservation Commission . He and Edna were also founding members of the Saco Valley Land Trust .
Jim is survived by his wife , Edna , six children , and 17 grandchildren ( 15 have or will graduate from TA ).
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Faculty and staff Terry Donovan Joyce A . Ladderbush in August 2022 Bernie LaPlante in January 2022
Thornton Academy receives numerous memorial donations each year recognizing members of the TA community who have passed away . Thank you to all who choose to remember loved ones in this way . If you would like to make a donation in honor or memory of a loved one , please contact the TA Development Office at 207-602-4456 or visit thorntonacademy . org / give .