Sarasota, FL and Bar Harbor, ME
Deborah A. Darling passed away on May 10, 2023 in a Bangor Hospital. She spent her final hours surrounded by her family and close friends. Deb fought a courageous 6 year battle with amyloidosis, a fairly rare disease that occurs when a protein called amyloid builds up and damages organs. Debbie lost her kidneys to the disease and had been doing home peritoneal dialysis since 2017. Last Sunday, May 7th, she fell after having her morning coffee while enjoying the view overlooking Frenchman Bay and fractured her pelvis and elbow. These injuries on top of a compromised immune system resulted in her death.
Debbie was born on August 6, 1948 in Bangor just 51 weeks after her older sister Jane. In her younger years she attended schools on the West side of Bangor and graduated from John Bapst High School in the class of 1966. She then graduated from Plus School of Business in Portland, ME and went on to work at Eastern Fine Paper in Brewer, the University of Maine Registrar’s Office, freelanced her own business Debbie’s Flower Power (so she could buy wholesale), and she was a long-term corporate officer and Board Member of Darlings.
Debbie met John, her husband of 54 years and love of her life, at a CYO dance at JBHS in her junior year. They were married on January 25, 1969 and had 3 children Carrie Ann, John Blaine II (Jay), and Lynne Marie. Debbie was affectionately referred to as “The Queen of Tough Love” by her children and friends. You always knew where you stood with her and if she set the rules for her children they were meant to be followed. Deborah wasn't color blind so there was no grey in her world, things were simply black or white.
As a child Debbie was quiet and docile and could fall asleep anywhere. As a girl Debbie played CYO basketball, spent summers on Phillips Lake and enjoyed frequent visits to her grandparents' camp in Castine, ME. In her later years she enjoyed summer at One Particular Harbor in Georgetown, ME and most recently at the Last Resort in Bar Harbor, ME. She spent warm winters on Siesta Key, Florida. She enjoyed boating and loved the many moods of the ocean, especially watching storms roll in.
Debbie was a great friend to many. She was kind, generous and fiercely independent. She was an exceptional homemaker, seamstress, cook, loving mother and wife. As the saying goes “behind every successful man is a strong woman” and that was certainly true of John and Deborah’s marriage. She was the CEO and CFO of the house so that John could concentrate on growing the business. In addition to her husband she supported her children, relatives and friends in all their endeavors, sports, trials and tribulations. Whatever someone needed she was there with financial support, moral support, sharing her time and many talents. She wore many hats and she answered to the names of Deb, Debbie, Big Deb, Debora-H, Meme, and most importantly, Mom.
Although self-taught Debbie was a multitalented individual and a decorator extraordinaire who could turn any house into home. If a building plan was incomplete she would draw it in. If a mural or wallpaper ran out she would paint it to completion. Over the years she worked on a number of construction projects for Darling’s and was always available to family members and friends who needed design or decorative advice or help. . In 1990-1991 her artistic talent was pressed into service to assist with the renovation of St. John’s Catholic Church in Bangor, ME.
Deborah also worked on many civic projects. She became a member of the Pine Tree Women's Association (PATAWA) in 1979, served a term as President, and remained a retired member to the time of her death. Deb and her friend, Ruth Soucy, worked countless fundraisers for St. Johns Grammar School. She also served many years on the St. Michael’s Center Board.
She was a long-term communicant at St. John’s and St. Mary’s Catholic Churches in Bangor until she became a Florida resident and moved to a summer house in Bar Harbor, ME. In Florida she attended St. Michael the Archangel Church on Siesta Key and St. Peter’s and Holy Redeemer on MDI in the summer.
Debbie was predeceased by her parents Kenneth and Gloria (Redman) Dauphinee, sister-in-law Mary Ellen Darling, brother-in-law Nick Manning.-She is survived by her husband John, daughter Carrie Meo and her husband Edward of Tierra Verde, FL, son Jay Darling and his wife Karen of Dedham, ME, daughter Lynne Darling of Hampden, ME, sister Jane Sanborn and her husband Carl of Bangor, ME, brother-in-law Edward Darling of Daytona Beach FL., sister-in-law Mary Manning of Topsfield, MA. She had five grandchildren that she thought the world of: Connor Darling and his fiancée Allie Dean of Holden, ME, Meredith Lewis and her husband Jeffery of Bangor, ME, Matthew Meo of St. Petersburg, FL, Daniel Meo of St. Petersburg FL and Anthony John (AJ) Meo of Daytona Beach, FL. She is also survived by numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and lifelong friends Cathy Maxsimic and her husband Ed, Ruth Soucy and her husband Dick, and Dottie Cerbone and her husband Tony.
The family would like to send a special thank you to the ICU doctors and staff of the Mount Desert Island Hospital, the ICU doctors and staff of Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center, the doctors and staff of Northern Light Cancer Care in Brewer, Dr. Jacob Laubach and the staff of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Dr. Mihail Sorae and the doctors and staff of Northeast Nephrology, and Jean Beals and the staff of DiVita Dialysis in Brewer, ME.
Visiting hours will be from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM Monday, May 15, 2023, at Brookings-Smith, 133 Center St, Bangor A Mass of Christian Burial open to all, will be celebrated at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, May 16, 2023 at St. Paul the Apostle Parish, St. John’s Catholic Church 217 York St. in Bangor, ME with a reception following the service in the downstairs Parish Hall. A committal service will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made in Deborah’s name to:
Dana Farber Cancer Institute
450 Brookline Ave.
Boston, MA 02215
Northern Light Cancer Care
33 Whiting Hill Road
Brewer, ME 04412
Condolences to the family may be expressed at BrookingsSmith.com.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Deborah Darling, please visit our flower store.
Deborah A. Darling passed away on May 10, 2023 in a Bangor Hospital. She spent her final hours surrounded by her family and close friends. Deb fought a courageous 6 year battle with amyloidosis, a fairly rare disease that occurs when a protein called amyloid builds up and damages organs. Debbie lost her kidneys to the disease and had been doing home peritoneal dialysis since 2017. Last Sunday, May 7th, she fell after having her morning coffee while enjoying the view overlooking Frenchman Bay and fractured her pelvis and elbow. These injuries on top of a compromised immune system resulted in her death.
Debbie was born on August 6, 1948 in Bangor just 51 weeks after her older sister Jane. In her younger years she attended schools on the West side of Bangor and graduated from John Bapst High School in the class of 1966. She then graduated from Plus School of Business in Portland, ME and went on to work at Eastern Fine Paper in Brewer, the University of Maine Registrar’s Office, freelanced her own business Debbie’s Flower Power (so she could buy wholesale), and she was a long-term corporate officer and Board Member of Darlings.
Debbie met John, her husband of 54 years and love of her life, at a CYO dance at JBHS in her junior year. They were married on January 25, 1969 and had 3 children Carrie Ann, John Blaine II (Jay), and Lynne Marie. Debbie was affectionately referred to as “The Queen of Tough Love” by her children and friends. You always knew where you stood with her and if she set the rules for her children they were meant to be followed. Deborah wasn't color blind so there was no grey in her world, things were simply black or white.
As a child Debbie was quiet and docile and could fall asleep anywhere. As a girl Debbie played CYO basketball, spent summers on Phillips Lake and enjoyed frequent visits to her grandparents' camp in Castine, ME. In her later years she enjoyed summer at One Particular Harbor in Georgetown, ME and most recently at the Last Resort in Bar Harbor, ME. She spent warm winters on Siesta Key, Florida. She enjoyed boating and loved the many moods of the ocean, especially watching storms roll in.
Debbie was a great friend to many. She was kind, generous and fiercely independent. She was an exceptional homemaker, seamstress, cook, loving mother and wife. As the saying goes “behind every successful man is a strong woman” and that was certainly true of John and Deborah’s marriage. She was the CEO and CFO of the house so that John could concentrate on growing the business. In addition to her husband she supported her children, relatives and friends in all their endeavors, sports, trials and tribulations. Whatever someone needed she was there with financial support, moral support, sharing her time and many talents. She wore many hats and she answered to the names of Deb, Debbie, Big Deb, Debora-H, Meme, and most importantly, Mom.
Although self-taught Debbie was a multitalented individual and a decorator extraordinaire who could turn any house into home. If a building plan was incomplete she would draw it in. If a mural or wallpaper ran out she would paint it to completion. Over the years she worked on a number of construction projects for Darling’s and was always available to family members and friends who needed design or decorative advice or help. . In 1990-1991 her artistic talent was pressed into service to assist with the renovation of St. John’s Catholic Church in Bangor, ME.
Deborah also worked on many civic projects. She became a member of the Pine Tree Women's Association (PATAWA) in 1979, served a term as President, and remained a retired member to the time of her death. Deb and her friend, Ruth Soucy, worked countless fundraisers for St. Johns Grammar School. She also served many years on the St. Michael’s Center Board.
She was a long-term communicant at St. John’s and St. Mary’s Catholic Churches in Bangor until she became a Florida resident and moved to a summer house in Bar Harbor, ME. In Florida she attended St. Michael the Archangel Church on Siesta Key and St. Peter’s and Holy Redeemer on MDI in the summer.
Debbie was predeceased by her parents Kenneth and Gloria (Redman) Dauphinee, sister-in-law Mary Ellen Darling, brother-in-law Nick Manning.-She is survived by her husband John, daughter Carrie Meo and her husband Edward of Tierra Verde, FL, son Jay Darling and his wife Karen of Dedham, ME, daughter Lynne Darling of Hampden, ME, sister Jane Sanborn and her husband Carl of Bangor, ME, brother-in-law Edward Darling of Daytona Beach FL., sister-in-law Mary Manning of Topsfield, MA. She had five grandchildren that she thought the world of: Connor Darling and his fiancée Allie Dean of Holden, ME, Meredith Lewis and her husband Jeffery of Bangor, ME, Matthew Meo of St. Petersburg, FL, Daniel Meo of St. Petersburg FL and Anthony John (AJ) Meo of Daytona Beach, FL. She is also survived by numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and lifelong friends Cathy Maxsimic and her husband Ed, Ruth Soucy and her husband Dick, and Dottie Cerbone and her husband Tony.
The family would like to send a special thank you to the ICU doctors and staff of the Mount Desert Island Hospital, the ICU doctors and staff of Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center, the doctors and staff of Northern Light Cancer Care in Brewer, Dr. Jacob Laubach and the staff of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Dr. Mihail Sorae and the doctors and staff of Northeast Nephrology, and Jean Beals and the staff of DiVita Dialysis in Brewer, ME.
Visiting hours will be from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM Monday, May 15, 2023, at Brookings-Smith, 133 Center St, Bangor A Mass of Christian Burial open to all, will be celebrated at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, May 16, 2023 at St. Paul the Apostle Parish, St. John’s Catholic Church 217 York St. in Bangor, ME with a reception following the service in the downstairs Parish Hall. A committal service will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made in Deborah’s name to:
Dana Farber Cancer Institute
450 Brookline Ave.
Boston, MA 02215
Northern Light Cancer Care
33 Whiting Hill Road
Brewer, ME 04412
Condolences to the family may be expressed at BrookingsSmith.com.
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