Geraldine Cecelia (Tuttle) Cole

Geraldine C. Cole (89) of 62 Dorset St. passed away Tuesday, July 2nd, 2019 at home with her niece Judith Nielsen at her side after a long illness.  Geraldine is survived by her son(s) David Greenlaw and his wife Patricia of Portland, Norman Cole of Biddeford, daughters Sherian Leconte of Portland, and Donna Goulet and her husband Allan of Punta Gorda, Florida.  She is also survived by brothers Shamus Tuttle of California, Ronald Tuttle and his wife Sharla of Lebanon, Me. and a brother, Michael Tuttle of Ct. and several nieces.  She also had many Grandchildren, and several Great Grandchildren as well as Great/Great Grandchildren.  She is predeceased by her parents Joseph and Florence Tuttle, and numerous siblings.   She was also predeceased by her latest husband Charles who also presided on Dorset St. until his passing, as well as daughter Cheryl West, formerly of Gorham. After spending a brief stay at The Gosnell Memorial Hospice House in Scarborough, Geraldine returned home to pass, something she strongly wanted to do.

Geraldine, or Jerry as she was known to many lived a long and colorful life.  Born in Bangor, Maine in 1929, her life would weave in and out of many states to include Maine, Michigan, and Florida to name just a few.

After finally settling here in Maine, she started raising her family in South Portland and eventually residing for a long period of time on Cumberland Avenue where the “Coles” were King and Queen of the party circuit.  She would later spend the next 30 plus years residing with her niece Judith Nielsen, making Dorset Street her home. 

Mom loved her children, grandchildren, etc., etc. very, very much and loved when they came to visit and play.    Mom should have spent her life as a runway model as she was most notably known for her spectacular style and color coordination of her clothing from head to toe, from her matching handbags to her sneakers.  Many, many times complete and total strangers would come up to her and compliment her on her style, and drop their jaws in disbelief when she told them her age, always looking decades younger than what she actually was.  No one would ever take her of a woman in her 70’s, 80’s, and just days shy of her 90th birthday.

For a woman who was so adorned, she was not one for the crowds, the fan-fair, etc., as a matter of fact, many years when her birthday was approaching, her and Judy would start the planning of where to go to be out of town on her birthday.  Hence, you’d always have to plan a counter attack and catch her early after her birthday.

In closing, I want to add a disclaimer that I hope that no one feels slighted or left out.  Mom had so many neighbors, friends that she felt dearly for.  She had quite an extended family because many, she bestowed family status upon, relative or not.  I’d like to thank you, and so many others for being an important part of mom’s life.  There’s been a huge void left in our world, but we must look beyond that and remember mom’s now pain free, want free, in a utopia we welcome for her.  I’d like to thank the staff at the homes where mom spent stints, and of course Hospice Care of Southern Maine.  The staff there, in my opinion, gave exceptional care and displayed so much love and affection to mom.  Some even exhibited dancing and singing for her, others took time to go out of their way to accommodate me and my questions.  And of course I’d like to thank the staff here at A.T. Hutchings for their kindness, and compassion they’ve extended. 

And of course, lastly, I’d like to thank her niece Judy for even opening her home to mom, her husband Charlie, and brother-in-law George (Jr.) Cole, all who resided there.  Mostly important, mom and Judy shared a close life of over 30 yrs. together on Dorset Street, having a bond and closeness that was unprecedented. Mom and Judy made a pact that they’d stay together through it all, to the end, and that pact was never broken. 

Thank you, and love to you all.  

There will be a memorial service held on Friday, July 12, 2019, at 10 am at A.T. Hutchins Funeral Home, 660 Brighton Avenue in Portland. Burial will follow in Forest City Cemetery in South Portland.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Geraldine Cecelia (Tuttle) Cole, please visit our floral store.