Surrounded by her loving family, Mary Ellen Darling, 81, of Bangor, ME, and Daytona Beach, FL, passed away in the early morning hours of February 11, 2023 after a courageous battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. Mary Ellen was born on September 21, 1941, the oldest child of Francis and Eleanor Sheehan.
Mary Ellen was a kind, loving individual who enjoyed being amongst people even in her younger years. She spent her childhood summers at Phillips Lake with her four siblings, tapped her way through Polly Thomas School of Dance, and achieved the highest honor in high school, graduating valedictorian of John Bapst High School’s class of 1959.
Mary Ellen found the love of her life in the seventh grade at Saint John’s School in Bangor. It all started with the “passing of that note.” Mary Ellen married Edward, “Eddie,” Darling soon after graduation from Catherine Laboure School of Nursing in 1962. Together they had four children. Their love was an inspiration, as were their dancing abilities. When they danced together, people cleared the dance floor. They celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with their family in September.
Mary Ellen’s true passion in life was loving and caring for her family. She immersed herself in motherhood, at one point having three children under the age of three. She was a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a great grandmother, a friend. She forged especially close relationships with her six grandchildren, making sure that they each felt equally but uniquely loved. Until the day she passed away, she was the glue that held the family together. Her passing leaves an irreparable hole in their hearts.
Whether you knew her as Mary Ellen, Lul, Mel, Mai La, Mammy, or Mom, she undoubtedly etched a special place in your heart. To know her was to love her. She was warm, loving and loyal; a true lady with impeccable manners. Her beautiful smile was contagious and lit up any room she was in. She was omnipresent. Chef, teacher, sideline coach, playmate, therapist; you name it, she wore the hat.
She knit beautiful afghans, made legendary chocolate chip cookies, was an avid Nascar fan, and was a ferocious ironer and eater. “She ate well. She ironed.” She was quick to volunteer, don a costume on Halloween, or drop everything to be with a friend in need. She was a commander of respect, with a soft heart. She welcomed strangers into her home who needed a place to stay, including a weary, door to door encyclopedia salesman. There was always an extra chair at her dining room table. She was a beacon of hope and love. She was deeply loved and will be dearly missed.
Dedicated to educational excellence, John Bapst High School was another of Mary Ellen’s passions. She volunteered in the offices at Saint John’s Catholic School and John Bapst High School. She also served on the Board of Directors of John Bapst and helped the school transition to a top-rated, independent, college-preparatory school in 1980. Mary Ellen and Ed continued to support the school throughout the years, and in May of 2021, John Bapst dedicated their new athletic center to them, naming it the Mary Ellen and Edward Darling Athletic Center.
Mary Ellen was predeceased by her parents, Francis and Eleanor Sheehan, and her sisters, Anne Sheresh (Chula Vista, CA), and Francie Sheehan Brady (Bethesda, MD). She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Edward Darling; her brothers, Tom Sheehan of Falmouth, ME, and Bob Sheehan of Denver, CO, and their families; her brother-in-law, Bob Brady of Bethesda, MD, and family; her children, Ted Darling and wife, Alison of Cape Elizabeth, ME; Kate Fraser and husband, Scott of Brewer, ME; Suzie Darling of Seal Harbor, ME; and Francie Kelly and husband, Kevin of Holden, ME. Mary Ellen’s memory will eternally be echoed in the reminiscing of her six adult grandchildren, Megan Birkel and husband Ryan; Emily Kilroy and husband, Killian; Maggie Darling; Anna Darling; Kendra Kelly; and Spencer Kelly; and ever present in the laugher of her four great-grandchildren, Olivia and Isabel Birkel, and Kate and Elise
Kilroy.
The family extends special notes of appreciation to Dr. Clifford Singer of Acadia Hospital; Carolyn Brennan-Alley, LMSW; the Safe Harbor staff of Birch Bay Retirement Village of Bar Harbor, ME; Gentiva Hospice of Bangor, ME; and Marlene Walker of Total Care Solutions of Holden, ME.
A celebration of life will be held at the Family Reception Center of Brookings - Smith at 163 Center Street in Bangor on _Friday February 24, 2023, 1 pm to 4 pm. A similar celebration of life will be held in Daytona Beach for Mary Ellen’s Florida friends on a date yet to be determined. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Mary Ellen’s name to John Bapst Memorial High School or the Alzheimer’s Association of Maine.
John Bapst Memorial High School
David Armistead, Head of School
100 Broadway
Bangor, ME 04401
Alzheimer’s Association of Maine
383 US Route 1, Suite 2C
Scarborough, ME 04074
Condolences to the family may be expressed at BrookingsSmith.com.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Mary Ellen Darling, please visit our flower store.
Mary Ellen was a kind, loving individual who enjoyed being amongst people even in her younger years. She spent her childhood summers at Phillips Lake with her four siblings, tapped her way through Polly Thomas School of Dance, and achieved the highest honor in high school, graduating valedictorian of John Bapst High School’s class of 1959.
Mary Ellen found the love of her life in the seventh grade at Saint John’s School in Bangor. It all started with the “passing of that note.” Mary Ellen married Edward, “Eddie,” Darling soon after graduation from Catherine Laboure School of Nursing in 1962. Together they had four children. Their love was an inspiration, as were their dancing abilities. When they danced together, people cleared the dance floor. They celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with their family in September.
Mary Ellen’s true passion in life was loving and caring for her family. She immersed herself in motherhood, at one point having three children under the age of three. She was a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a great grandmother, a friend. She forged especially close relationships with her six grandchildren, making sure that they each felt equally but uniquely loved. Until the day she passed away, she was the glue that held the family together. Her passing leaves an irreparable hole in their hearts.
Whether you knew her as Mary Ellen, Lul, Mel, Mai La, Mammy, or Mom, she undoubtedly etched a special place in your heart. To know her was to love her. She was warm, loving and loyal; a true lady with impeccable manners. Her beautiful smile was contagious and lit up any room she was in. She was omnipresent. Chef, teacher, sideline coach, playmate, therapist; you name it, she wore the hat.
She knit beautiful afghans, made legendary chocolate chip cookies, was an avid Nascar fan, and was a ferocious ironer and eater. “She ate well. She ironed.” She was quick to volunteer, don a costume on Halloween, or drop everything to be with a friend in need. She was a commander of respect, with a soft heart. She welcomed strangers into her home who needed a place to stay, including a weary, door to door encyclopedia salesman. There was always an extra chair at her dining room table. She was a beacon of hope and love. She was deeply loved and will be dearly missed.
Dedicated to educational excellence, John Bapst High School was another of Mary Ellen’s passions. She volunteered in the offices at Saint John’s Catholic School and John Bapst High School. She also served on the Board of Directors of John Bapst and helped the school transition to a top-rated, independent, college-preparatory school in 1980. Mary Ellen and Ed continued to support the school throughout the years, and in May of 2021, John Bapst dedicated their new athletic center to them, naming it the Mary Ellen and Edward Darling Athletic Center.
Mary Ellen was predeceased by her parents, Francis and Eleanor Sheehan, and her sisters, Anne Sheresh (Chula Vista, CA), and Francie Sheehan Brady (Bethesda, MD). She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Edward Darling; her brothers, Tom Sheehan of Falmouth, ME, and Bob Sheehan of Denver, CO, and their families; her brother-in-law, Bob Brady of Bethesda, MD, and family; her children, Ted Darling and wife, Alison of Cape Elizabeth, ME; Kate Fraser and husband, Scott of Brewer, ME; Suzie Darling of Seal Harbor, ME; and Francie Kelly and husband, Kevin of Holden, ME. Mary Ellen’s memory will eternally be echoed in the reminiscing of her six adult grandchildren, Megan Birkel and husband Ryan; Emily Kilroy and husband, Killian; Maggie Darling; Anna Darling; Kendra Kelly; and Spencer Kelly; and ever present in the laugher of her four great-grandchildren, Olivia and Isabel Birkel, and Kate and Elise
Kilroy.
The family extends special notes of appreciation to Dr. Clifford Singer of Acadia Hospital; Carolyn Brennan-Alley, LMSW; the Safe Harbor staff of Birch Bay Retirement Village of Bar Harbor, ME; Gentiva Hospice of Bangor, ME; and Marlene Walker of Total Care Solutions of Holden, ME.
A celebration of life will be held at the Family Reception Center of Brookings - Smith at 163 Center Street in Bangor on _Friday February 24, 2023, 1 pm to 4 pm. A similar celebration of life will be held in Daytona Beach for Mary Ellen’s Florida friends on a date yet to be determined. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Mary Ellen’s name to John Bapst Memorial High School or the Alzheimer’s Association of Maine.
John Bapst Memorial High School
David Armistead, Head of School
100 Broadway
Bangor, ME 04401
Alzheimer’s Association of Maine
383 US Route 1, Suite 2C
Scarborough, ME 04074
Condolences to the family may be expressed at BrookingsSmith.com.
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