Anne M. Stone

Anne Marie (Flaherty) Stone, 89, died peacefully in Gorham surrounded by family on Friday, June 9, from complications of Parkinson's disease. She was born in Portland on April 15, 1928, the third daughter of Coleman and Nora Flaherty, who were immigrants from Spiddal, County Galway, Ireland. She grew up in Portland's West End and was a graduate of St. Dominic's School and Cathedral High School, where she was salutatorian of the class of 1945. She attended the Mercy Hospital School of Nursing in Portland as part of the U.S. World War II Cadet Nursing Corps and received her RN in 1948. Over her long career in nursing she worked at Mercy Hospital, Community Health Services, New England Rehab, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and the Veterans Hospital in Washington, D.C. On October 15, 1954, she married Norman A. Stone, whom she had met while working at the Veterans Hospital in Providence, R.I. They were married for thirty-nine years, until his death in 1993. They lived in Portland, Westbrook, and Gorham with their five children. Their home was a warm and welcoming center of activity for their children and grandchildren, friends, cousins, and extended family, many of whom came to regard it as a second home. Very proud of her Irish heritage, Anne was a member of the Irish American Club of Maine and made two trips to Ireland with family. She grew up hearing the Irish language spoken at home and later studied it as an adult. She particularly enjoyed reading, crossword puzzles, quiz shows, knitting, crocheting, sewing, and baking--activities she often shared with her children and grandchildren. She was an active Catholic throughout her life and a longtime parishioner of St. Anne's Church in Gorham, St. Mary's in Westbrook, and St. Dominic's in Portland. Above all, Anne was a beloved daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and aunt to her large extended family. She was a dedicated and respected nurse, an inspiring mentor, and a cherished friend to many people from every part of her life. All of them will miss her dearly. Her family would like to thank the wonderful staff at Gorham House for their excellent and loving care. Anne was predeceased by her husband, Norman Stone, in 1993; sisters, Mary Flaherty and Helen Flaherty Kane; and brothers, James, John, Thomas, and Joseph Flaherty. She is survived by her children: Jeffrey A. Stone and his partner, James J. Morris, of New York City; Gregory N. Stone of Westbrook; Elizabeth A. Strach and her husband, Larry Strach, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida; Edward M. Stone and his wife, Lisa, of Gorham; and Susan M. Slocum and her husband, Philip Slocum, of Standish. She is also survived by six grandchildren: Michelle Stone, Amy Stone, Jacob Stone, Andrew Strach, Danielle Slocum, and Cameron Slocum; four great-grandchildren: Vanessa Stone, Jacob Stone, Thalia Jackson, and Madeline Stone; and many much-loved nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. Visiting hours will be held on Wednesday, June 14, 2017 from 4:00 to 7:00 at the Conroy-Tully Walker South Portland Chapel, 1024 Broadway. Prayers will be recited at 9:15am on Thursday, followed by at 10:00am Mass of Christian Burial at Holy Cross Church, 124 Cottage Road, South Portland. Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery, Broadway, South Portland. Those who wish may make donations in her memory to: Maine Irish Heritage Center, 34 Gray Street, Portland, ME 04101 or the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, Donation Processing P.O. Box 5014,Hagerstown, MD 21741-5014