Mary Elizabeth (Day) LeClair

Mary Elizabeth LeClair (Mama and Nana to her family), 74, of Windham, Maine passed peacefully on Saturday, May 29, 2022, at home surrounded by her family.

Mary was born August 20, 1947, in Damariscotta, Maine.  She attended Portland schools and married her sweetheart on March 8, 1965.  She was a homemaker to her six children, until they were old enough for her to pursue her second career.  She then worked at Portland Public Schools (Lincoln Middle School) for more than 20 years. 

Mary loved gardening and birds that visited her beautiful flowers. She was self-reliant and took great pride in her Yankee ingenuity.  In typical New Englander fashion, she epitomized the adage, “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.”  She loved to stroll the thrift shops in nearby towns, always searching for the next best bargain, while getting in a nice walk.  She also loved to go grab a cup of coffee with her husband, Bill, or spend a few dollars at the local bingo hall, casino, or horse track.  Mary always said she wasn’t much of a sports fan, but she attended every one of her six children’s baseball and softball games.  She was a lifelong fan of the Red Sox and the Pats, and even became a Tampa Bay Bucs fan when TB12 took his winning spirit south.

Mary was a strong woman, sister, wife, mother, and grandmother and even up to her last days, she went out of her way to make sure everyone was cared for. Generosity and giving was in her DNA and she too often donated her own personal possessions to others with the expectation of nothing in return.  Mary was always caring for others, even when she needed to rest and take care of herself.  Mary lived her life by a simple code of, “if you have it, you give it” and she was always grateful for what she had. She was the neighborhood mom and always made her modest home a welcoming gathering spot for the children in the community. Even with cancer she continued to care for everyone else.  She was more of a mother than a grandmother to most of her grandchildren.  At least half of her grandchildren lived with Nana and Papa at one time in their young lives.  Mary left a legacy of love.

She is survived by her loving husband of 57 years, William J. LeClair, and her six children, Wendy Graham (and her husband Matthew Graham) of Tampa, FL; William J. LeClair Jr (and Bonnie) of Sanford, ME; Mary LeClair (and Jimmy) of Portland, ME; Heidi LeClair (and Emery) of Bucksport, ME; Donald LeClair (and Melinda) of Buxton, ME; and Brian LeClair (and Amy) of Windham, ME.She also leaves behind 20 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren.

The family would like to express heartfelt gratitude and appreciation for the wonderful compassion and care given by Northern Light Health Hospice Care. 

You are welcome to make a donation in honor of Mary to either:

Hair Matters

Northern Lights Home Care and Hospice

Mary’s beautiful life will be celebrated by her family and friends on from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM on Friday, June 10, 2022, with a service immediately following at 6:00 PM at A.T. Hutchins Funeral, 660 Brighton Ave, Portland.

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