RIPLEY – Mary G. Canning, 94, died peacefully, husband at her side, at home, March 18, 2026.

She was born to Harold and Frances Gerrish, June 12, 1931, in Milo. She grew up in Augusta, attending Augusta schools and graduated from Cony High School, fifth out of a class of 180. An indication of the active life style she would be known for, was her participation in four high school sports; six clubs, groups, or societies; editing assistant for the yearbook; playing cello in the high school orchestra; and three years in the annual Cony “Chizzle Wizzle” show.

She was a good water skier and a good snow skier, winning a Silver Medal Doral-Nastar Award for a downhill race at Squaw (now Moose) Mountain and once skiing the lower half of Tuckerman’s Ravine on Mt. Washington. She learned to operate a motorboat in her teen years at summers at Sebec Lake. She and brother, Hap, would run a converted lobster boat around the lake to friend’s camps, and also other favorite spots.

She attended the University of Maine at Orono then at Farmington, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education in June, 1954. She started teaching 4th grade at Lincoln School in Augusta.

She married Arthur Bourgoin in 1955, had daughters Kathryn and Patricia and stopped teaching to spend the early years raising her daughters. In February 1957, she and husband, Arthur survived a deadly, fiery airplane crash of Northeast Flight 823 on Riker’s Island in New York City, N.Y. In 1964, she started teaching again in Augusta public schools. In 1970, she attended Northern Conservatory of Music in Bangor and was awarded a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education. In the following summers through 1976 she attended the University of Maine at Orono and was awarded a Master of Music in Music Education. In 1971 she became the chorus director at Cony High School and the Vocal Music Supervisor for the Augusta Public School System.

When the marriage with Arthur did not work out, she divorced him in 1975. She continued her work in Augusta, married Eric Love in 1975, and left Augusta in 1976 to join Eric in the Dexter area (living in Ripley) where he was employed. In 1976, she was awarded a Master of Music in Music Education from UMO. She started teaching 5th grade in Exeter in SAD 46 for five years. In 1981, she became the classroom music teacher for Dexter Elementary School and also the vocal music teacher at Dexter Middle School for grades 5-8. Mary divorced Eric in 1985. At that time she taught grades 3-6 classroom music and also became the chorus director for Dexter Regional High School.

In 1994, she married Gordon Canning and continued to live in Ripley. In addition to the usual Christmas and Spring Concerts which involved all chorus members, Mary also gave selected students opportunities to participate in Show Choir (song and dance) performances; female Barbershop Quartets; ensemble Christmas performances for the Dexter Kiwanis Club; solo and ensemble competitions; Arcady performances; yearly district and All-State performances; and one All-Eastern performance in Pennsylvania.

Outside of school, Mary was involved with the Coller Chorale; the Shiretown Singers; the Dexter Community Chorus (as director also); teaching sailing summers for ChanceAlong Sailing in Belfast; American Association of University Women; Penobscot Sail and Power Squadron; the Dover-Foxcroft Congregational Church (as a choir member, and for a short time, choir director, and organist); and the Oratorio Society at the University of Maine at Orono.

In June 2000, she retired but continued to accompany (on piano) the DRHS chorus and served several years as treasurer of the Music Boosters. She also taught private piano lessons (and some voice lessons) at home and had yearly recitals. Her two most outstanding students were Mary Ellms and Sarah Johnson. Mary’s daughter, Patricia, started the Maine Women’s Hall of Fame. Mary noticed that Susan Collins was not recognized. Mary put together an impressive nomination effort to remedy that situation. Susan Collins is now in the Maine Women’s Hall of Fame. Mary organized a program and taught Early Childhood Music to preschoolers in Bangor for several years. She served for many years as the Retired Chair for the Maine Music Educators Association, and is probably remembered best for organizing the annual lobster feeds usually at various music educators’ seaside homes. She enjoyed and was very good at playing bridge.

Mary is survived by husband, Gordon; daughter, Kathy Bourgoin and husband, David LaBrecque of Orono; granddaughters, Julianne and husband, Wynn Shatzer of Somerville, Mass., and Holly LaBrecque of W. Hartford, Conn.; great-granddaughter, Ella Shatzer of Somerville, Mass.; stepson, Robert Canning and wife, Ruby of Ripley, stepson, Donald Canning of Fairbanks, Alaska; and step-grandson, Dexter Canning of Old Town.

She was predeceased by daughter, Patricia Bourgoin of Gardiner.

Visiting hours will be 6 to 8 p.m., Friday, March 27, at Crosby-Neal Funeral Home in Dexter. A church service will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, March 28 at the Dover-Foxcroft Congregational Church. Burial will be private at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Augusta this summer.

In lieu of flowers, donations are encouraged to the charity of your choice.