1946 – 2015

DURHAM — Arlene B. Libby of Royalsborough Road, Durham, passed away peacefully on Friday evening, Nov. 13, just four days prior to her 88th birthday, surrounded by her loving family.

She was born on Nov. 17, 1927, in Hartford, the daughter of the late Albert V. Brown and Jennie R. (Gammon) Brown. She attended Hartford Grammar School and took great pride in the fact she was the only student to graduate in her class at Canton High School.

She married James B. Libby on June 29, 1946, and raised their family of 12 children, a source of her pride and joy. She babysat for neighboring families. As her children grew, she worked alongside her husband for 12 years in their family business the Pine Plank Shop, beginning in 1970. She went to work at L.L. Bean in 1982, where she made many friends, until her retirement in 1992. Arlene’s family was foremost and she loved to tell others about her 12 children, her 27 grandchildren, 39 great-grandchildren, and 5 great-great-grandchildren. She loved hosting large family gatherings at the holidays and throughout the year, and her home was open to all. She treated all of her children’s friends and the neighborhood kids as her own. Everyone who met and knew Arlene adored her.

She was a true matriarch and nucleus of the family. She worked hard all her life providing for her family, and always put their needs before her own, with a spirit of love, kindness and generosity. She raised vegetable gardens, canned and put food up, prepared meals and her kitchen was never closed. She was a member of the Durham Congregational Church.

She loved to knit and crochet, and regularly made hats, mittens, scarves and baby blankets for her family and expecting mothers. She enjoyed tending her flower gardens, feeding and watching her birds, word-find books, visiting with relatives, and long, meandering drives in the country, to the mountains and the ocean. She always looked forward to her annual trip with her daughters and granddaughters to her grandson’s camp at Moosehead. In recent years, she enjoyed her favorite television shows — Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Andy Griffith, Steve Harvey, The Chew, Judge Judy, Big Bang Theory, Shark Tank, and Undercover Boss. She loved an ice-cold root beer and when asked how it tasted, said, “It’s damn good!”

She is survived by five daughters, Brenda Heath of Lisbon Falls, Sherry DeBiasio and her husband, Ernest, of Topsham, Patricia Dewitt and her husband, Roy, Pamela Lussier and her husband, Robert, Theresa Soucie and her husband, Mark, all of Durham; seven sons, Robert and his wife, Christina, Maynard and his wife, Joyce, Kenneth, Stephen, and Malcolm, all of Durham, Richard of Brunswick, and Brian of Westbrook; 27 grandchildren; 39 great-grandchildren; 5 great-great-grandchildren; her brother, Frank and his wife, Genesta, of Buckfield; sisters-in-law, Eleanor Fish of Weld, Gloria Jones of Canton and Beulah Brown of Hartford; brothers-in-law, Lester Libby and his wife, Jeanie, of Rumford and Fred Bopple of Brunswick; and cousins and many nieces and nephews.

She is predeceased by her parents; her husband of 55 years, James; her sister, Dorothy Parsons; and her brothers, Stanley Brown, Sherman Brown and Marcian Brown.

The family wishes to thank the caring staff of CHANS Home Health Care and the special, caring people of Spectrum HomeCare, especially the loving care of the CNAs who were always so attentive and kind.

Online Condolences may be shared with the family at www.crosmanfuneralhome.com.