PORTLAND – June Marie Starkey, 67, of Gray, was led home to be with the Lord from a Portland hospital on Friday, April 16.

She was born May 19, 1936, the daughter of Brida Lennon of Auburn and wife of 46 years to Walter Starkey of Gray. She was a long time resident of Falmouth and will be best remembered as a loving mother and devoted wife who spent most of her time helping others.

While living on the Gray Road in Falmouth, she was a volunteer on the Falmouth Rescue Team, a member of the Jaycees and the leader of a 4-H club. She also taught Sunday school and was a member of the choir at the West Falmouth Baptist Church. Neighbors and friends always looked forward to her annual Christmas Eve open houses and her abundant lawn sales. During the day when the kids were in school, she could always be found driving elderly neighbors to the grocery store or just stopping in for a visit.

She amazed everyone when at the age of 32, she enrolled as a freshman at Falmouth High School to earn her high school diploma. Four years and a life time of friends later, she did just that, graduating a year ahead of her oldest son, Jim, in 1974.

Since moving to Gray, she spent many weekends greeting breakfast goers at the Busy Bee Coffee Shop with a warm smile and a hot cup of coffee. During the Christmas holidays she took on the roll of Mrs. Clause, when her husband played Santa at local events. She was an avid shopper of knickknacks and loved to eat out, where she also met many of the establishments employees who knew her by name and called her a friend.

Her loves and interests included drives to North Conway, taking endless pictures of loons, taking care of her front garden, painting, watching Tiger Woods on TV, and collecting angels.

She is survived by her husband, Walter of Gray; five children, Jim Starkey and his wife, Denise of Gray, Thom Starkey and his wife, Colleen of Falmouth, Belinda Merrill and her husband, William of Auburn, Walter Starkey of Burbank, Calif., and Scott Starkey of Gray; 10 grandchildren; one great-grandchild. She will also be missed by many nieces, nephews, uncles and aunts from both sides of the family.

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