1921 – 2015

DEER ISLE — Muriel Denis Saindon, 94, formerly of Auburn, passed away on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at the Island Nursing Home on Deer Isle.

She was born Sept. 9, 1921, in Lewiston, the oldest daughter of Clovis and Delma (Oullette) Denis. She was the widow of Robert Saindon, whom she married on Sept. 26, 1945; he passed away Aug. 9, 2008.

Muriel was loved by all at the Island Nursing Home. Two years ago she was the Valentine dance queen, dancing all night long with the home’s loving residents and staff nursing members. Dancing with her husband Robert was one of her great loves. For years, they square danced, reaching high-level precision dancing.

Being the oldest daughter, she was responsible for taking care of her sisters and brother while her mom and dad worked in the mills. As a result she never finished high school. In grade school she loved to read and had stories of every day washing her dress and eagerly going to school with a bread and butter sandwich. How devastating it was that she could not continue. One of her greatest desires was to be able to learn exciting new things and to be with other children her age.

She had great love for her father, Clovis, who passed away at an early age. Years of work in the foundries may have contributed to his early death. He had a major influence on her and she had many fond memories of him and how he would take her and her sisters roller skating on Saturdays, and how other foundry colleagues had great respect for Clovis’ skills at mold-making.

Her first start in her young adult life was working in a local greenhouse, and at the start of World War II, she volunteered into the Red Cross, and met her husband, Robert. They had two boys, Richard and Dennis. She started her career as a floral designer at Dube’s flower shop in Lewiston, and later earned some awards for her centerpieces in Boston floral shows. She took an opportunity at Raytheon assembling transistors, which led to being a floor manager at Digital Corp. in Augusta.

On her commute to work she was struck head-on in a life-changing auto accident. Her recovery seemed like years, and she started to do more sewing, which she was always good at. This led her to quilting; she was a true artist at this. Her natural abilities in geometric patterns, color selection, proportions and hand-eye accuracy for hand stitching looked like machine stitch. All of these were executed to perfection. These quilts were a quality that any quilt master would recognize. There never was a time she didn’t have a quilting ring by her chair or other future designs in the making.

Her cause of death was advanced stages of dementia, and her last living days were spent smiling, pain-free, warm and sleeping.

She is survived by her sons, Richard Saindon and wife, Sharon, and Dennis Saindon; two sisters, Georgette Como and Jacqueline Ogard; grandson, Luke Clovis Saindon; step-granddaughter, Tammy Parker; step-great-grandson, Parker Kelly; and also by many nieces and nephews from her brother and sisters.

She was predeceased by a brother, Clovis Denis; and a sister, Regine Denis Spearrin.