Evelyn P. Mina

SACO - Evelyn P. Mina, 82, formerly of Bayview Terrace, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on November 21, 2013 following an extended illness. Evelyn was born in Biddeford, Maine on April 20, 1931, one of three children to Nicholas and Theodora Xhera Peterson, both Albanian immigrants. An exceptional student, she graduated from Biddeford High School in 1948 and later attended Gray's Business College. In 1952, she was introduced to a young veteran, James Mina of Worcester, Massachusetts, and on September 13, 1953, they were married in Boston. The couple settled in Westbrook where they raised their three children and enjoyed a loving and mutually supportive marriage for the next 40 years. They eventually built a home in the Bay View seaside neighborhood of Saco, where they enjoyed some of their happiest years. In 1976, Evelyn and James realized their dream of business ownership and founded Curry Printing in Portland. Evelyn proved to be a capable businesswoman, guided by the simple principles of honesty, quality and personal service. Their idea worked and the business prospered. With a brilliant smile and endearing personality, Evelyn became a trusted and popular figure within the local business community and her customers became her friends, often stopping by the store simply to chat with her. After her husband's death in 1993, Evelyn relinquished much of the day to day management of Curry Printing to her son, John Mina, but remained active in the business until the onset of her final illness. In July of 2013, Curry Printing celebrated its 37th year of operation. In 2007, Evelyn undertook the ambitious task of renovating her commercial property at 10-12 City Center in Portland. The property, now known as the Mina Building, was built in 1900 and headquartered the Maine Saving Bank for many years. Evelyn took great delight in seeing the renovations through and making sure that they were performed in a manner befitting of the building's historic significance. Today, visitors to Portland and passersby often stop to inspect and photograph the building and appreciate its unique architecture. Evelyn was an active and supportive parishioner of the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Portland. In recognition of her "humility and faithful service" to the Church, Evelyn was recognized as its Parishioner of the Year in 1997 and was honored in Boston with the Diocese Laity Award. Above all, Evelyn's greatest interest and joy was her large and loving family, to whom she was devoted and affectionately known as "Grammy." Through her children and grandchildren, she became an avid sports fan and closely followed their local school teams with great pride. The Sunday dinners, beach parties, birthday and holiday celebrations at her house at Bay View that she made special will be sadly missed, but fondly remembered. She was source of unwavering strength, optimism and wisdom to her family, who will remember the lessons learned through her example. In addition to her husband, James, Evelyn was predeceased in 2007 by her sister, Henrietta Peterson. She is survived by her three children: Thimi Mina and wife, Yvonne, of Scarborough, John Mina and wife, Cindy, of Portland, Victoria Wahrer and husband, Marty, of Scarborough; her brother, Thomas Peterson, and wife, Marian, of South Portland; her seven adoring grandchildren: Matthew Wahrer, James Mina, Benjamin Wahrer, William Wahrer, Mitchell Bonney, Katherine Wahrer, and Alyson Mina; and numerous nephews and nieces. Evelyn's family wishes to express their heartfelt thanks to the caregivers at the Monarch Center of Saco and Beacon Hospice for their attentive and compassionate care of Evelyn during her final days. Visiting hours will be from 3 to 6 pm on Sunday, November 24, 2013 with the Trisagion Service at 5:00 pm at the Conroy-Tully Crawford South Portland Chapel, 1024 Broadway, South Portland. A funeral will be held at 11 am on Monday, November 25, 2013 at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 133 Pleasant Street, Portland. Private burial will follow at Laurel Hill Cemetery, Saco.In lieu of flowers, donations in Evelyn's names may be made to:Alzheimer's AssociationMaine Chapter383 US Route One, Suite 2CScarborough, ME 04074Online condolences may be expressed below.