Marilyn DiBiase

It's with heartfelt sadness that we announce the passing of our mother, Marilyn Lois DiBiase. The Lord took her to be with her husband John on March 25, 2023. Marilyn was born on March 2, 1928 in Freeport and was the daughter of Clara & Merrill Fogg. She was one of eight children and 4th in line. Marilyn grew up in Freeport working at various little jobs. In her late teens she worked for Woolworth's on Congress Street and it was there she learned to fold clothes to a tee! Marilyn met her forever love John in Yarmouth and she & John married October 25, 1947. She and John began their life together and welcomed their first child Cynthia in 1949 and little did they know within the next 4 ½ years they would welcome 3 more children; Camillo, John, and Maria. Marilyn's very busy life was ahead of her. She & John owned their very first neighborhood grocery store on the corner of Pitt Street and Forest Ave for almost 10 years at which time they decided to move to So Portland and open a new neighborhood store called DiBiase's Market located in Ferry Village. Marilyn & John lived above the store with their 4 children and Marilyn learned how to multi- task very fast. She would care for the kids, make THE BEST Italian Sandwiches, paint, strip wallpaper, did small repairs to the home, chauffeur the kids and John to family gatherings, run errands for the store, deliver groceries to those who were unable to make it to a store, sewed, knitted, make dinner for her children, and then finally make dinner for she & John at 10:00 PM every evening. She would always want to go to Freeport on Sundays to visit her Mom & Dad and see all of her brothers & her sister. She loved her Fogg family so very much as they were full of life and fun. Yes, she was busy and a jack of all trades but never complained. Marilyn was a devout Catholic and made sure her children attended Catholic Elementary School, and made sure her children grew up understanding the importance of faith, honesty, kindness, and respect. Marilyn was for sure the strong but reasonable disciplinary of the family. Marilyn and John worked as a team their entire life. After running their 2nd store for nearly 20 years they moved to Carlyle Rd in their early 50's and began a home daycare together. They worked very hard at that for 12 years but were SO VERY happy to have their evenings free. They were ready to socialize and meet a lot of new friends. Marilyn joined a bowling team and in 1977 she & John joined the Italian Heritage Center, ("The Club"), and their social life began BIG TIME! You would hardly ever find them home after 6 PM until it was time to go home and go to bed. They played cards, Bocci, danced up a storm, and gave many hours of volunteer work. Marilyn also worked as a waitress for many years. This was their life and didn't miss a beat. Marilyn & John also began to do a little travel with their best friends. They took many fun bus trips as a group. This social life of Marilyn's lasted until she was 86, at which time she lost her husband John. Marilyn was 86 and tried hard to continue to go to the club but she felt lonely and decided to sell her home and move to Assisted Living at Woods at Canco for 5 years. Even there she continued to be social and it was very hard to catch her in her room once she got ready for the day. She played bingo, and joined in as many activities as possible and was able to eat all 3 meals with company. That made Marilyn happy. At the age of 92, Marilyn's health declined in a way where assisted living was no longer possible. She resided at Springbrook, Long Term Care Facility, for nearly 3 years. AGAIN, it was rare to find Marilyn in her room. Once she was ready for the day, she placed herself in the common area where she could see people, eat, play bingo and other activities. Marilyn didn't go back to her room until 7:00 PM. She watched Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy each evening. Even on her last day of life she was feeling ill, but woke for a bit and suddenly said "HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO STAY IN THIS ROOM". She wanted to go out in the common area to be with people. God Love Her! Marilyn was predeceased by her Mother Clara Fogg, Father Merrill Fogg, her forever husband John, brothers Edwin, Donald, Merrill Jr, Joseph & Ernest and sister Emily and step sister Charlotte and son-in-law Scott Decker. Surviving are her 4 Children Cynthia Decker, Camillo DiBiase (Linda), John DiBiase (Lynne) Maria Doyle (Edward), her 8 Grandchildren and 13 Great Grandchildren and one more on the way due in May. We will remember her as kind, fun, selfless, our mother, friend, and mentor. Dear Lord, keep her safe. She has now joined her husband John and they will once again be dancing the night away. Visitation will be from 4-7 PM on Wednesday APRIL 5, 2023 at A.T. Hutchins Funeral Home, 660 Brighton Avenue, with funeral Services to follow at 7:00PM. Burial will be private. In Lieu of flowers contributions in Marilyn's memory may be made to the DiBiase Scholarship Fund C/O The Italian Heritage Center, 40 Westland Ave., Portland, Maine 04103.

Marilyn DiBiase

March 2, 1928 - March 25, 2023

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