Patricia Benoit Quinlan Obituary (1925 - 2016)

Portland-Patricia Benoit Quinlan, of 620 Ocean Avenue, Portland, Maine died on October 11, 2016, at the age of 91. She was born on March 16, 1925, the fourth child of Henri A. and Katherine Walsh Benoit. She graduated from Waynflete School in 1942 and attended Manhattanville College in New York City where she studied nursing. In 1950 she married Edward J. Quinlan Jr. of Norwalk CT They settled in rural Norfolk CT in 1952 where they raised 6 children and lived for 40 years before moving to Falmouth, Maine, in 1991. They remained happily married until Edwards death in 1997. Mrs. Quinlan was active in the Catholic Church. She was a communicant of and active volunteer at both the Immaculate Conception Church in Norfolk, CT, and Holy Martyrs Church in Falmouth, ME. Patricia always made very generous use of her time. She particularly embraced her role as a volunteer hospice worker while living in Connecticut and Eucharistic minister and prayer group leader in Falmouth. For several years, both in Connecticut and in Maine, she was the primary caregiver for her husband Edward, who died in 1997 after living for many years with Alzheimers. Patricia was a woman of very strong faith and was well known for her kind and generous spirit as well has her self-deprecating sense of humor. She loved people and was much loved in return. Of all her good deeds, accomplishments and acts of kindness, the roles she cherished the most were that of being a devoted wife to her husband Edward, loving mother, grandmother and great grandmother. In addition to her husband, Patricia is predeceased by her brothers Arthur and Louis Benoit and sisters Maria Hanley and Katherine Gibbons. Surviving her are two daughters, Maria Q. Leiby (Steven) of Lansing, MI, and Anne Quinlan of Winsted, CT; four sons, Edward J. Quinlan III (Deborah) of Arundel, ME, Thomas M. Quinlan of Northborough, MA, Gregory H. Quinlan (Jane) of Brunswick, ME, and Michael J. Quinlan (Beth) of Portland, ME; nine grandchildren, Jay and Margaret Leiby, Adam Quinlan, Meaghan and Emily Quinlan, John Carlos and Elizabeth Coloma, Andrew and Peter Quinlan, and five great grandchildren. The family wishes to thank the staffs of the Osher Inn at Cedars and VNA Home Health Hospice for their kind, compassionate and loving care. Visiting hours will be held on Thursday, October13, 2016, from 4:00 to 6:00pm at the Conroy-Tully Walker Funeral Home, 172 State Street, Portland, ME. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, October 14, 2016 at 2:00pm at St. Pius X Catholic Church, 492 Ocean Ave, Portland, ME with the Rev. Daniel Greenleaf celebrant. Burial will be private in Calvary Cemetery, South Portland. To view Patricias memorial page, or to share an online condolence, please visit www.ConroyTullyWalker.com In lieu of flowers the family requests contributions in Patricias memory to: Sisters of Mercy, 966 Riverside Street, Portland, ME 04103 or VNA Home Health Hospice, 50 Foden Rd., South Portland, ME 04106.