Pauline Kaiser

ELLSWORTH - Pauline "Polly" May Latty Kaiser died on December 26, 2023, after a six-week struggle with cancer. A multi-generational Mainer, she was born in Brunswick, Maine, on October 29, 1943, to Estella and Basil Latty.
A few minutes after Polly's birth, her twin sister, Penny, entered the world. After graduating from North Yarmouth Academy('62), Polly attended Simmons College (B.A. '66, M.F.A. '67). In 1967, while teaching high school English near Boston, she met medical student John Kaiser, and they married on August 9, 1969. In 1975, after a brief stint in New Orleans, Polly and John moved to Bangor, Maine, where they raised two sons, Scott and James. Polly taught English at Brewer High School for 12 years and Sumner Memorial High School in East Sullivan for seven years. A lifelong learner, she studied multiple languages and earned a P.h.D. in English from the Union Institute. Polly was a dedicated member of P.E.O. In 1992, she helped assemble a retrospective for the Bangor Historical Society: "The Hardy Connection: Bangor Women Artists 1830-1900."
Polly loved gardening and the outdoors, indulging in both at the family camp o n B r a n c h L a k e i n Ellsworth. In winter, she enjoyed skiing at Sugarloaf. Polly and John visited dozens of countries and all seven continents. Among the highlights, a 1983 trip to Tanzania, where the family spent one month at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro while John volunteered at a local hospital. After retirement, Polly and John spent winters in Bonita Springs, Florida. Polly was a true Mainer: hardworking and reliable. Her sense of fun was exceeded only by her love of family. Inspired by her grandfather, Salvatore, an Italian stone cutter who immigrated to Stonington, Polly reconnected with distant cousins in Biella, Italy. Until the final days of her life, she cherished weekly phone calls with her Italian cousin, Piero.
Polly is survived by her husband; sons, four grandchildren, Ted, Alex, Martina, and Max; and siblings, Penny, Alex, Mark, and Marcia.
On Thursday, August 29, Polly's family will host a celebration of the life of Polly Kaiser from 7-9 p.m. at Brookings-Smith Funeral Home, 133 Center Street, Bangor. Contributions may be made to The Bangor Humane Society, 693 Mt. Hope Ave, Bangor, ME 04401.