Coleman and Anna Gorham

Coleman (Coley) Phillip Gorham died on December 20, 2020 in Birmingham, Alabama at the age of 102 due to Covid-19 complications. Coley was born on February 23, 1918 in Portland, Maine, fourth child of Coleman and Julia Corbett Gorham. Both Parents had immigrated to Portland Maine from County Galway, Ireland. He lived in Portland as a young child and then moved to Riverton where he attended Chevrus High School. He graduated from St. Francis Xavier College in Nova Scotia in 1941 with a BA degree in Philosophy. He received a Master's Degree from the University of Notre Dame in English/American Literature and a Master's Degree in Psychology from Boston College. An Honorary Doctorate Degree of Public Service was recently awarded to Coley from St. Joseph's College in Standish Maine on May 9, 2020. He enlisted in the US Navy during World War II in 1942 and served until 1945. Coley graduated from U.S. Midshipmen's School at Columbia University and served as an Ensign aboard an LST that made D-Day landings in Sicily, Salerno, Anzio, Elba and France. Coley was called back into the Navy after the Korean War broke out and served as a liaison between the U. S. Navy and the Peruvian and Uruguayan Navies. He was discharged in 1954 as a Lieutenant Commander. He worked in the Maine and Massachusetts school systems as a teacher, counselor, and coach. His second career was in Real Estate as a builder and developer. In addition to building several homes, he restored historical homes in the New England area. Coley was married to the late Anna Lee for 55 years prior to her passing in January 2020. He was preceded in death by his parents, Coleman and Julia Corbett Gorham, and his siblings, John Joseph Gorham, Julia Corbett Flaherty, and Mary Corbett Gorham. Coley was a devoted patriarch to his family. He is survived by his nephews, M. Joseph Flaherty(Linda), Patrick M. Gorham (Ann), F. Kevin Gorham (Janet) and his niece Jean Gorham Johnson (Wayne), several great nieces and nephews and great-great nieces and nephews. In the early 90's, Coley and his wife Anna became snowbirds and wintered in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Coley had a passion for helping those less fortunate and was very generous with his time and assets. In Florida, Coley became interested in Haiti. He spent the last twenty-five years of his life helping the impoverished people of Haiti. He built more than 30 homes for the Haitians, and restored over 100 homes destroyed in the Earthquake. He funded several community projects in Haiti including building a church, restoring an orphanage and opened St. Patrick's School in the Hattian Village of Petite Reviera-de-Nippes. Coley believed that you never really earned anything until you gave it away. Coley was a champion for the poor, and a mentor to prisoners. He believed in equality, anti-war and was a strong supporter of developing a US Peace Academy. He expressed his feelings in his writings and welcomed any debate; he loved stirring things up with his op-ed pieces. A celebration of life and memorial mass for Coley and Anna will be held on September 16th, 2021 at 11:00AM at St. Pius X Catholic Church, 492 Ocean Avenue, Portland, Maine, with the burial immediately following at Calvary Cemetery, 1461 Broadway, South Portland, Maine. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to The Sisters of Mercy, c/o Sister Dale Jarvis, 230 Prospect Street, Portland, Maine 04103, or Higher Education and Leadership Program for Haiti, 3 Coolidge Street, Waterville, Maine 04901. Anna P. Gorham passed away January 13, 2020 in Birmingham, Alabama at the age of 94. Anna is predeceased by her parents, Thomas and Sarah (Murphy) Lee, her brother and his spouse, Thomas and Nancy Lee, her niece Mary Lee, her nephew Robert Lee, her sister and her spouse, Elizabeth Lee McClain and Robert McClain, her brothers, Reverend Robert Lee, Richard Lee and David Lee, her brother-in-law John Gorham, her sisters-in-law Mary Gorham, and Julia Gorham Flaherty, her niece Kathleen Gorham and her nephew John Gorham Anna was survived by her loving husband Coleman P. Gorham of 55 years. They were married in South Portland, Maine on July 4, 1964. They lived in Maine, Massachusetts, California, Florida and back to Maine before moving to Birmingham, Alabama two years ago. Anna is lovingly remembered by her sisters in law, Dorothy Lee of Portland, Maine, and Ann Lee of Chevy Chase, Maryland; nieces, Patricia McClain Bennet of Wheeling, West Virginia, Kathy McClain Bonaccorsi of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Kirsten Lee Asplin of Hemet, California, Maura Lee of Washington, DC, Megan Lee Hilah of Oakton, Virginia, Jeanne Gorham Johnson of Stafford, Virginia; her nephews Richard Lee, Jr. of Arizona, Stephen Lee of Franklin, Wisconsin, Thomas Lee of McClain, Virginia; Timothy Lee of South Portland, Maine; Bryan Lee of Baltimore, Maryland; Michael Lee of Chevy Chase, Maryland; Matthew J. Flaherty of Birmingham, Alabama; Patrick Gorham of Wyoming, Delaware; F. Kevin Gorham of Greensboro, North Carolina; and several great nieces and nephews and great-great nieces and nephews. Anna Gorham was born in Portland, Maine on January 8th, 1926. In the 7th grade, Anna was the Maine State Champion of the National Spelling Bee and was invited to the White House and met President Franklin D. Roosevelt. She graduated from South Portland High School, and went on to earn a BA in French from St. Joseph's College in Standish, Maine. Anna received a Master's Degree in French from Middlebury College in Vermont, and attended the Sorbonne University in Paris, France. She was an educator in the Maine and Massachusetts school systems and was a member of The Maine Teachers Association and the NEA. She was a Leader of the Experiment in International Living and spent time in Paris, France. Anna was an avid reader and loved books and cross word puzzles. Her hobbies were photography and traveling. Anna was loving, compassionate, kind and warm. She never met a stranger. A Memorial Mass will be held September 16th, 2021 at 11am at St. Pius X Catholic Church in Portland, Maine with a graveside service at Calvary Cemetery in Portland, Maine. In Lieu of Flowers, donations may be sent to The Sisters of Mercy, c/o Sister Dale Jarvis, 230 Prospect Street, Portland, Maine 04103, or Higher Education and Leadership Program for Haiti, 3 Coolidge Street, Waterville, Maine 04901