May Emeline (Cook) Purvis

VEAZIE, ME – May Emeline (Cook) Purvis, 87, “finally” joined her Lord and Savior at sunrise on the Lord’s day, Sunday, August 16, 2020, at her Veazie home with her loving husband, Everett D. “Ted” Purvis, daughter, Sheryl Ann “Sherry” (Purvis) Chaousis, and special daughter #2, Carol Jean Craig, by her side. May was born in Detroit, Maine on May 24th, 1933, the daughter of the late Pearl S. and Adeline F. (Booth) Cook.
May was a graduate of Newport High School, Salutatorian of the Class of 1952. She was a member of the Glee Club, “N” Club for basketball and softball and the National Honor Society. She was also a member of the Sebasticook Grange. May met her husband, Everett at Auto Rest Park Roller Rink in Carmel, Maine. They were married October 4th, 1957 at what was then High Street Union Church in Newport Maine. They were married for 62 years.
Upon graduation May worked for Judge Jude’s Office in Newport Maine. In 1955, she went to work at Judkins and Gilman in Newport; in 1958 moved to Commercial Credit Corp in Bangor and in 1969 began her career at Bangor Savings Bank where she remained until her retirement on May 24th, 1995. May made many lifelong friends at Bangor Savings Bank.
In her younger years, May loved to roller skate and was an avid candlepin bowler. In her retirement she enjoyed playing golf with her husband and special friends David and Vivian Findley. May and Ted also enjoyed music and dancing and could tear up a rug doing the jitterbug. Other interests include collecting coins and salt & pepper shakers. May also enjoyed keeping detailed genealogy records for her and her husband’s families and spent countless hours documenting “through the years” histories that she shared with her family and friends.
In addition to her husband, daughter and special daughter #2, May is survived by her sisters, Rita Braley and her husband, Harlan and Ellen Lessor of Newport; and her brother, David Cook of Dexter. Also surviving are her brother-in-law, Richard Purvis and his wife, Ruth of Bangor, sister-in-law, Helen Cannon and her husband, Dell of Bossier City, LA., and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her brother, Calvin Buzzell and his wife, Kay; sister, Betty O’Farrell and her husband, Earl; brothers-in-law, Eugene “Pete” Lessor and Robert Purvis and his wife, Marianne; sisters-in-law, Marilyn Cook, Phyllis Williams and her husband, Marion, Sharon Briggs and her husband, Dean; son-in-law, James D. Chaousis and her grand-dog, Max Alexander.
May greeted everyone warmly, including strangers, as though they were her friends. She was always the life of the party and will be missed by all who knew and loved her.
The family would like to thank the staff of St. Joseph’s HomeCare & Hospice for their kind and compassionate care of May and her family over the last few weeks.
Graveside services will be conducted in the fall at Highland Cemetery in Carmel, Maine at a date and time to be announced.
In lieu of any flowers, please remember May with a smile. Online guestbook messages may be left at BrookingsSmith.com. Cards with your special memories of May are all that are needed to lift the spirits of her husband and daughter.