LEWISTON — Mildred Mary Flaherty Whittingham, 90, a longtime resident of 12 Whipple St., Lewiston, died Saturday, Jan. 1, at her new home in Montello Heights, Lewiston.

Born in Auburn on Nov. 15, 1920, she was the daughter of John C. and Mary Walsh Flaherty. Educated in local schools, she was a graduate of Lewiston High School, Class of ’38, and also graduated from Bliss Business College where she met her devoted husband of 63 years, Leo N. Whittingham. They were married on June 5, 1943, in St. Joseph’s Church.

She was employed as an office manager by the Wade and Dunton Carriage Co. for 49 years, and then retired from Bates College office services after working there for 10 years. Mildred was a devoted lifetime member and a very active volunteer of St. Joseph’s Parish, until its closure in 2009. She was a lifetime member and past-prefect of the Queen’s Guild Sodality, former president of the Maine Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, and the first woman lector at St. Joseph’s Church. She served as a Eucharistic Minister, and was a graduate of the Center for Parish Ministry, serving as the director of St. Joseph’s Religious Education for 10 years. She was a member and past president of the Legion of Mary, and a longtime member and past president of the Parish council. She also volunteered at Central Maine Medical Center and in her retirement years, brought Communion to shut-ins, served as director of the Parish Resurrection Choir, organized Lenten lecture series and luncheons, as well as St. Patrick’s Day celebrations at the Parish for many years.

In 1995, she became a lay associate of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. She was an active member of Journeywomen, a non-denominational social action group for women. She was an avid Red Sox fan and enjoyed attending baseball games at Fenway Park. She served as an election poll worker and enjoyed seeing and greeting old friends at the polls every election.

She is survived by three daughters and their husbands, Janice and Steve Taylor of Silver Spring, Md., Claire and Ray Sargent of Sanford and Jeannie and Tom Hopkins of Burke, Va; five grandchildren: Stephen Taylor, Paddy Taylor and his wife, Kristy, R.J. Sargent, Sarah (Hopkins) Phenow and her husband, Tony, and Patrick Hopkins and his wife, Keri; five great-grandchildren, Tyler and Alex Phenow, Anna Sargent, Alexandra and Cora Flaherty Taylor; and one nephew, Paul Henault.

Besides her parents and husband; she was predeceased by a granddaughter, Jeannie Anne Sargent, who passed away in 1990.

Condolences and a photo tribute may be accessed online at www.albert-burpee.com.