Sr. Eleanor LaForge, RSM (Mary Flavian) Obituary (1916 - 2012)

Sr. Eleanor LaForge, RSM (Mary Flavian), 95 yrs., a prize winning multimedia artist, died peacefully at St. Joseph's Rehabilitation and Residence Center on August 7, 2012 after a long illness. Sr. Eleanor was born in Old Town, ME on October 5, 1916 to Eben and Rose Goudreau LaForge and entered the Sisters of Mercy after graduating from John Bapst High School in 1934. She was a communicant of St. John's Parish, Bangor. Upon entering the Sisters of Mercy, Sr. Eleanor began her post graduate education at St. Joseph's College in Standish where she received a B. A. in Ed. Sr. Eleanor's love for the Arts brought her to study Art at the University of Maine, Orono, Portland School of Applied Arts and Boston University where she received her Master's Degree in Fine Arts. Her teaching career spanned the lower elementary grades through adult ed. Sr. Eleanor's elementary schools included St. Edward's, Bar Harbor; St. Mary's, Bangor as principal; St. Dominic's, Portland; and Cathedral, Portland. Her interest in Science led her to become the recipient of three National Science Foundation grants at Colby, Bowdoin and Wellesley Colleges. She then began her high school ministry at John Bapst High School, Bangor; Cathedral High School and Catherine McAuley High School, Portland, teaching both Science and Art. In 1977, Sr. Eleanor was co-Founder of Mercy Education Center Creative Arts (MECCA) at St. Joseph's Convent specializing in Ceramics and Watercolors for the Sisters and other interested adults. She was also a member of SURGE, a group dedicated to the betterment of retired Sisters. Retirement years gave Sr. Eleanor more time to dedicate to the Fine Arts she had such a passion for. Sr. Eleanor's creative and artistic gifts were on display in several exhibits at St. Joseph's College in Standish and at Bangor Public Library in Bangor. Her Educational background prompted her to share her poetry in the booklet, Senior Perspectives: Spirituality where she was attending the Senior College at the University of Southern Maine. Sr. Eleanor's life was an appreciation of all of God's wonderful gifts of creation as her words in her poetry states, "God's world of sun and sea and cliff, Makes living one of God's choicest gifts." Sister is predeceased by her parents, Eben and Rose Goudreau LaForge, an aunt, Sr. Mary Flavia LaForge, who was also a Sister of Mercy and cousins, Patricia and Lawrence LaForge. She is survived by cousins, John LaForge, Harpswell and Nancy Lewis, Portland as well as her friends and Sisters in Community. Visiting hours will be Friday, from 4 - 8 p.m. with a 7 p.m. Prayer Service at Conroy-Tully Crawford South Portland Chapel, 1024 Broadway, South Portland. A 10:00 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, at St. Pius X Church, 492 Ocean Avenue, Portland. Burial will be in New Calvary Cemetery, South Portland. Memorial gifts may be made out to: the Sisters of Mercy Development Fund, 966 Riverside St., Portland, ME. 04103. Online condolences may be expressed below.