Marjorie Elizabeth Higgins

GRAY - Marjorie Elizabeth (Dauphinee) Higgins, known as ‘Betty’ to everyone, passed away peacefully on November 11, 2021, at the age of 94 after years of struggling with dementia. She was surrounded by family, friends, and her caregivers in her daughter Paula’s home in Gray.

Betty was born in Calais on February 4, 1927. The fifth of eight children, with four additional half-siblings who lived in Nova Scotia, she was raised on a dairy farm until the family moved to southern Maine in 1933. They moved to North Yarmouth then New Gloucester before settling in Sebago while parents and siblings sought employment on the coast and in the woods.

Betty married George E. Higgins on September 23, 1943, and went on to raise a family of nine children. They lived in George’s family home in Gray since 1954. In the late 60s and early 70s she briefly worked at Fairchild in South Portland as a quality control manager.

Betty was a strong, independent, frugal mother who loved animals. Later in life, she enjoyed feeding local wildlife, watching them from inside her front door as they fed from her door step.

She loved long drives without any destination, looking at the scenery, reminiscing about places she’d lived or been and noticing what had changed, picnicking in old cemeteries, and occasionally spotting a plant or tree she wanted to dig up and bring home. She never missed the annual Yarmouth Clam Festival parade in fifty years. Italian sandwiches were her favorite picnic food, but she could always be tempted with fried clams or a lobster roll on the coast.

She also enjoyed trivia games, crossword puzzles and the companionship she shared with her caregivers, whom she adored.

Betty is predeceased by her husband and four of her children, Patty Combs, Bette Jane Higgins, a baby boy, and Donna Rollins. She is survived by five children, Beverly Miller, Bill Higgins, Anita McBride, Richard Higgins and Paula Bernier. She is also survived by numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren who always brought a smile to her face.

Visitations will be held on November 16th from 5p-8p at Wilson Funeral Home in Gray. A graveside service will be held at 10am on November 17th at Haley cemetery 402 Convene rd in Sebago followed by a potluck reception at the home of Jeff and Belisa Harriman 3 Hogfat Hill rd in Sebago.