Elaine T. Burlingame

Today, March 10, 2013, passed a wonderful women, a lady, mother, daughter, sister,friend and Gram...Elaine T. (Batson) Burlingame. She was born February 19, 1922 and raised in Summit, NJ by a Nebraskan corn farmer turned AT&T engineer, Charles Cuyler Towne after her mom Bertha Josephine died when she was 14 years old. Her two surviving younger siblings, Jean and Ted, remember her taking over many of the family responsibilities as they matured. Her first love, Roland R. Batson, having been first a 1950 MIA in North Korea, then in 1954 declared KIA, left her with their two surviving children Roland Russell, and Elaine Sharon (Wroblewski), and subsequently 6 grandchildren, Drew and Shannon Batson, plus Brooke Wroblewski Minko, Nadia Wroblewski Orr, Colin and Taylor Wroblewski, and 6 great-grandchildren. Better to have loved than to never have loved at all? Elaine was blessed with a second love, in James (Jim) F. Burlingame. Her twenty years with him from 1970 to 1990 provided her with beyond imagination, fulfillment of the empty nest years, her 3rd cluster of twenty years. There was nothing she loved more than the grandchildren, though her three great-grandchildren Brady Batson and Parker and Logan Orr have certainly taken a huge chunk of what she always had to offer. Too recently born to have met great-grandchildren Hazel, Connor, and Cooper only brought a smile to her face. Obviously without neglect she equally loved her in-law and step relations those being Ted Wroblewski, Dee Batson and her daughters, Beth and Megan. Outside of all this there was no end to her passions; travel, flowers, birds, gardening,crafts, and helping others. So full of life, always enjoying any and all family gatherings,walking, swimming, exercising, telling people "how they should do it", and always with a huge smile. After graduating from Lasell College, much of this was preceded by many years in Warwick, RI, included some time spent in the US Navy from which she was Honorably Discharged late Nov. 1945, as an Aviation Metalsmith 2nd Class. She often did refer to herself as one of the Rosie the Riveters. Summering at Little Ossippee Pond since1958 in North Waterboro, she developed her love for Maine and her friends, the latest ones being The Pool Pals at the Sanford Y and so very many at The Mayflower, The Lodges and finally The Newton Center. She has left this world with as strong a spirit and smile as she lived upon it. A family service at the Southern Maine Veterans Cemetery will be held this Spring. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Elder Grey Meeting House-Cemetery Association, 265 Chadbourne Ridge Road, North Waterboro 04061 or the Southern Maine Veterans Cemetery Association, c/o Paula Simpson, 919 Main Street, Sanford, ME 04073.Arrangements are under the direction of Black Funeral Homes & Cremation Service, Sanford-Springvale. Condolences can be expressed at the Condolences tab at left.