Charisse Stanko
Charisse “Cherry” Pauline Stanko, 74, passed away peacefully Monday, February 28 after a lifelong battle with Type 1 diabetes. She was born November 28, 1947 in Blue Hill, where she was raised and lived for her entire life. She was the oldest of six children, helping her parents, Mike and Mary Astbury, to raise her four sisters and brother in a small farmhouse just up the hill from town on Union St.
She attended Blue Hill Consolidated School, George Stevens Academy, and the University of Maine at Orono. While she was at UMaine, she found a special tutor in her hometown she took a liking to, Ron Stanko, who became her husband in 1969. She later completed her Master’s degree at the University of Maine in Counselor Education. Ron and Cherry celebrated their 53rd anniversary several months ago.
Cherry touched the hearts of many in her calling to care for others as a teacher at Lamoine Elementary School and at Blue Hill Consolidated, a guidance counselor in Brooksville, Orland, Searsport/Stockton Springs, and Blue Hill, and as an independent psychotherapist serving the Bangor area.
Cherry was a gifted seamstress as well, creating hand-tailored clothes and wedding dresses, and at one point even opened a fabric store in town. She crocheted continuously, even after losing her sight several years ago, giving countless blankets to her family, friends and those in need. As a girl she loved Girl Scouts, and trained and worked with horses for many years.
Cherry is survived by her husband, Ronald Stanko, her daughter and son-in-law, Samantha and Joshua Jones, their grandson Galen, and their beloved pug, Kindle; her sisters Terry, Patty, Karen, MaryAnne and brother Michael, and their families, including countless nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, and grand-nephews.
Services will be held at 1:00 p.m. March 5, 2022 at the First Baptist Church of Blue Hill, with a private family reception to follow the service. Livestream and service details will be available at Brookings-Smith.com. Gifts in Cherry's memory may be sent to The ARK Animal Shelter at PO Box 276, Cherryfield, ME 04622.
Condolences to the family may be expressed at BrookingsSmith.com.
Out of precaution for the vulnerable, and as a way for us to connect with those who wish to offer condolences safely and comfortably, we will be holding a virtual zoom reception on Sunday, March 6 at 2pm, which will allow extended family and friends to share informally with Ron and the Jones family. If you are interested in participating, please email us at Joshua.l.jones@maine.edu, with STANKO RECEPTION in the subject line, so we can send a link.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Charisse Stanko, please visit our flower store.
Charisse “Cherry” Pauline Stanko, 74, passed away peacefully Monday, February 28 after a lifelong battle with Type 1 diabetes. She was born November 28, 1947 in Blue Hill, where she was raised and lived for her entire life. She was the oldest of six children, helping her parents, Mike and Mary Astbury, to raise her four sisters and brother in a small farmhouse just up the hill from town on Union St.
She attended Blue Hill Consolidated School, George Stevens Academy, and the University of Maine at Orono. While she was at UMaine, she found a special tutor in her hometown she took a liking to, Ron Stanko, who became her husband in 1969. She later completed her Master’s degree at the University of Maine in Counselor Education. Ron and Cherry celebrated their 53rd anniversary several months ago.
Cherry touched the hearts of many in her calling to care for others as a teacher at Lamoine Elementary School and at Blue Hill Consolidated, a guidance counselor in Brooksville, Orland, Searsport/Stockton Springs, and Blue Hill, and as an independent psychotherapist serving the Bangor area.
Cherry was a gifted seamstress as well, creating hand-tailored clothes and wedding dresses, and at one point even opened a fabric store in town. She crocheted continuously, even after losing her sight several years ago, giving countless blankets to her family, friends and those in need. As a girl she loved Girl Scouts, and trained and worked with horses for many years.
Cherry is survived by her husband, Ronald Stanko, her daughter and son-in-law, Samantha and Joshua Jones, their grandson Galen, and their beloved pug, Kindle; her sisters Terry, Patty, Karen, MaryAnne and brother Michael, and their families, including countless nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, and grand-nephews.
Services will be held at 1:00 p.m. March 5, 2022 at the First Baptist Church of Blue Hill, with a private family reception to follow the service. Livestream and service details will be available at Brookings-Smith.com. Gifts in Cherry's memory may be sent to The ARK Animal Shelter at PO Box 276, Cherryfield, ME 04622.
Condolences to the family may be expressed at BrookingsSmith.com.
Out of precaution for the vulnerable, and as a way for us to connect with those who wish to offer condolences safely and comfortably, we will be holding a virtual zoom reception on Sunday, March 6 at 2pm, which will allow extended family and friends to share informally with Ron and the Jones family. If you are interested in participating, please email us at Joshua.l.jones@maine.edu, with STANKO RECEPTION in the subject line, so we can send a link.
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