Helen Ward Anderson

SCARBOROUGH - Helen Ward Anderson, 91, died Thursday, January 23 at the Gosnell Hospice House in Scarborough with her loving family by her side. Helen was the widow of Carl G. Anderson, she was born in Portland Maine the daughter of Fred and Agnes O'Donnell Ward. She graduated from Portland High School class of 1940 and then Northeastern Business College. While at Northeastern she met her husband, Carl. Her first employment was in the accounting office of Porteous, Mitchell and Braun. On June 21, 1944 she married Carl Anderson. During WWII she was employed by the US Navy and later accepted a position with the US Army First Service Command in Boston where her husband was stationed at the time. After World War II they returned to the Portland area where they resided in Cumberland and later in South Portland. While living in South Portland, she was Brownie Scout Leader at St. John the Evangelist Church, a member of the Thornton Heights PTA, and she played golf regularly at the Larry Rowe Golf Course. In 1957 her husband's employment as an accountant with Oxford Paper Company brought them from Portland to Rumford where they resided for 25 years. While in Rumford she was a Brownie Scout Leader, a volunteer at the Rumford Community Hospital Coffee Shop, an active member of the PTA and a member and Past President of the Rumford Study Club, a chapter of Maine Federation of Women's Club. After being a stay at home mom for many years and when her oldest child was in college, she returned to the work world as Guidance Secretary at Rumford High School which she enjoyed for 17 years. After retirement in 1983, she and her husband took up residence in Scarborough. She was a member of the Friends of the Scarborough Library and a parishioner of Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. The family summered at Brandy Pond, Naples for 30 years where she enjoyed swimming and boating with her family. Her family meant more to her than anything in the world, and she enjoyed so much seeing them often at their many family gatherings. After retirement she and her husband spent 20 winters at St. Augustine Beach, FL where they swam in the pool every day and walked the beautiful beach. Competition on the shuffleboard court was one of their favorite past-times. For more than 16 years she enjoyed her semi-weekly Step and Stretch exercise class at the South Portland Community Center. Helen was predeceased by her husband Carl Anderson; two sisters Agnes Murphy and Catherine Shorb. She is survived by two daughters Judy Golin of Durham and Corinne and her husband Neil Piper of Gorham; a son Gary Anderson of Portland; five grandchildren Heather Piper and her husband Chris Jackson of Bowdoinham, Allison Piper and her husband Michael Glessner of Portland, Scott and his wife Emily Golin of Boston, Brooke Anderson and her husband Major Jason Robertson of Williamsburg, VA and Dylan Anderson of Fryeburg; seven great grandchildren Anna and Lucy Jackson, Avery and Ellie Golin, Eve and Miles Glessner and Jonna Robertson. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 307 Congress Street, Portland at 10:00am on Wednesday, January 29, 2014. Burial will be in the spring at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in South Portland. Arrangements are under the direction of Conroy-Tully Crawford Funeral Home, 172 State Street, Portland, ME. Those who wish may make contributions in Helen's memory to: Gosnell House at Southern Maine Hospice, 180 US RT 1, Scarborough, ME 04074.Online condolences may be expressed below.