1916 – 2012

IPSWICH, Mass. — Barbara Louise (Strout) (Farris, by adoption) Pancoast, 95, died Oct. 17, at Beverly Hospital after a brief illness.

She was born in Oxford, on Nov. 13, 1916, to Delma and Emma (Harris) Strout, but was orphaned at age 5 and adopted by her aunt, Florence (Harris) Farris, and raised by her aunt and her grandparents, Emma and John Jacob Astor Harris, in Mechanic Falls. She was a resident of Manchester, N.H., for 46 years and had just moved to Ipswich in December 2011 to live with her youngest son.

She was educated in Mechanic Falls public schools and attended beautician school in Portland. She moved to New York City for her work and loved that experience but returned to Maine, where she met and married Wynfield S. “Bill” Pancoast from Pennsylvania. They were married in his home state of Pennsylvania but made their home in Maine. Her husband predeceased her in 1993.

Prior to her illness, she worked for many years as an electronics assembler in special top secret government projects at (Lockheed) Sanders Associates in Nashua and then Merrimack, N.H., until her retirement in 1987. She was an avid furniture restorer and home decorator, loved reading and collected antiques such as hat pins, oil lamps and furniture. She loved any project that improved her home and surroundings, indoor or out. She loved going for family vacations at lakefront property in southern Maine.

She had a lifelong love of all things Maine. She had a remarkable sense of humor and a great memory. She was a lifelong dog lover but was also very attached to her cat, Tippy, at the end of her life. Most of all she cherished her family and would do anything for any of them anytime, if it was within her substantial power to do. She was proud of everything any of her children and grandchildren did.

Surviving members of her family include her sons, Stephen J. Pancoast, M.D., of Moscow, Pa., Jeffrey W. Pancoast, P.E., of Fort Collins, Colo., and David P. Pancoast, Esq., of Ipswich; and a daughter, Barbara A. (Pancoast) Boland, purchasing agent, of Dracut, Mass. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Elizabeth (Pancoast) Lanoue of Scarborough, Kimberly Pancoast of Longmont, Colo., Kristen (Pancoast) Vasquez of Johnstown, Colo., Kevin Boland of Dracut, Mass., and Jacob Pancoast of Ipswich, Mass.; and several great-grandchildren; and nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her son, Gary, who died in Manchester, N.H., in July 2011 after a brief illness.

She will be missed by all who were so lucky to have known her, especially her loving family.

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