BANGOR(AP)-Linda McRea, a reporter, editor and columnist for Maine newspapers, died after a brief illness at her home on Wednesday. She was 57.

McRea, who was born on Vinalhaven, worked as a licensed practical nurse before going to work as a correspondent for the Lewiston Daily Sun and Evening Journal. She also wrote a column and was features editor for the newspaper’s Sunday paper.

After teaching English in Africa, McRea returned to Maine and worked for the Bangor Daily News as a copy editor. She was married to Tim Allen, an editor at the News, and had four children.

McRea’s “tireless commitment to journalism and long-standing compassion for others” will be remembered by family, friends, and the Bangor community, U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, said in a statement Friday.