AUBURN — Theresa Nadeau (Bard) “Tessie,” 77, passed away at Androscoggin Hospice in Auburn on Wednesday, March 15, with family by her side. She was born on Jan. 20, 1940, in Bangor.

She is predeceased by her grandparents, Victorie and Delia Bard; parents, Harold and Elsie Clark; brothers, Warren (Butch) Clark and Gary Clark; sister, Pam Lewis; uncles, Roland Bard, Pfc. Joseph Bard (passed in World War II), Willard Bard and Thomas Bard; and aunt, Eva Plourde.

She is survived by her three sons, Keith Walter and his wife, Tina, of Bowdoinham, David Walter and wife, Faith, of Poland, and Dwayne (Bug) Walter and his wife, Jodi, of Auburn; her brothers, Joseph Clark of Leeds, Paul Clark of Lewiston, and Roger Clark and wife, Debra, of Auburn; sister, Helen Melanson and husband, Ted; aunts, Jeanette (Bee) Bard of Fort Kent, and Bernadette (Bernie) Bouchard of Augusta and Florida; and good friend, Polly Jackson of Fort Kent. She is also survived by 11 grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren living in Maine and Massachusetts.

Tessie will be remembered as a determined, proud, strong and loving mother, who raised three boys on her own and was infinitely proud of the men they have become and the families they shared with her. She was a generous, caring and compassionate woman who was always thinking of others. Her last employment was at Personal Onsite Development in Auburn, where she cared for people with disabilities before her retirement. In retirement, she enjoyed spending time with her family, doing crossword puzzles, reading and social media. Fittingly, her last post was an Irish proverb, “A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for anything.”

Tessie lived at home with son Dwayne and his wife, Jodi; grandsons, Devin, Dalton and “the girls” (their beloved Boston terriers, Maggie and Annabelle) until her illness sent her to the hospital Feb. 26 and eventually to hospice on March 13.

During this time, her family remained at her side and Tessie continued to show her fighting spirit, compassion for others and sense of humor. In her last days, she was still worried about her boys, providing pep talks to the daughters-in-law and joking with her caregivers.

Theresa Nadeau