Anna R. Bourque

Anna Rakel (Vopni) Bourque, 94, of Portland, passed away on Tuesday, March 17, 2015 at Fallbrook Woods, Portland. A middle child of seven, Anna was born in Kenville, Manitoba, Canada to the late Thorbjorg and Karl Vopni on November 13, 1920. Anna shared a special bond with her mother, one of deep admiration and respect. It was at her Mothers urging that she moved to Winnipeg after high school to study piano and develop her musical skills. She later went on to attend secretarial school. Upon graduation she qualified for a position with the Icelandic Embassy in Washington D.C. where she worked during WWII. It was in D.C. that through a serendipitous encounter she met the man she would later marry, Wilfred (Billy) Bourque, a CPO in the US Navy. The two were wed at St. Patricks Church in Portland and they settled down on Whitney Avenue where they raised seven children. Anna managed the household and supported her husband while he and his partners built Cumberland and York Distributors. Anna and Bill shared a love of travel and together they visited Europe, Asia, North America and their favorite destination; Africa. Anna was active in the community and worked as a volunteer for the Osteopathic Hospital, Portland Stage and Mad Horse Theater, among others. She was a dedicated patron of St. Patricks Church, and gave back to the community. Charities she supported had special meaning including Juvenile Diabetes, local animal shelters, Wayside Soup Kitchen and the Changing Tide Foundation of Long Island, Maine. Anna was passionate about the arts, literature, classical music and opera. She was a talented musician, animal lover and avid gardener. She was dutiful, generous and hardworking. There were no limits to what she would do for her family. She was intelligent and witty and possessed exceptional strength of character. Her husband, Bill Bourque; her son, Stephen Bourque; daughter-in-law, Sara Bourque; and her six siblings predeceased Anna. Anna is survived by six of her children: Jimmy (Monika) Bourque, of Westbrook; Joanna (Bruce) Koharian, of Portland; Debbie Mooney, of South Portland; Mary Ann (John) Pearsall, of Long Island, Maine; Ellen (Hank) Strauss, of Earlysville, VA; and Margret (Danny) Gore, of Cape Elizabeth. She is also survived by 14 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. She is deeply loved and will be dearly missed. Visiting hours will be held at Conroy-Tully Crawford Funeral Home, 172 State Street, Portland on Friday from 4-7PM. Prayers will be recited at the Funeral Home on Saturday at 9:15AM followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Pius X Church, 492 Ocean Ave., Portland at 10AM. Interment to follow at Calvary Cemetery, South Portland.