Constance M. Edwards

SOUTH PARIS — Constance M. “Connie” Edwards, 81, passed away Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2013, at Market Square Health Care Center after a courageous battle with cancer.

She was born in Houlton on May 1, 1932, to Cecil and Queenie Levesque Dobbins. She was the oldest of twelve children.

She worked primarily doing office work and bookkeeping. She worked at Ashton's Drug Store, Newberry's, Hillcrest Poultry and Sturbridge Yankee, to name a few. She was at one time Town Clerk of Casco, Constable, Tax Collector and Dogcatcher. When she retired she still wanted to remain busy so she became a driver for RTP, taking people to appointments. She was an avid bowler, was in the Norway-Paris Drum & Bugle Corps, and was also a Brownie leader.

She is survived by her children, Jolene Estes Berry and husband Richard of Harrison, Tracy Estes Card and husband Peter of Harrison, Diehl Estes of Casco, Deasy Edwards of Pownal, and Lisha Edwards Phillips and her husband Daniel of Naples; six grandchildren, Jamie Berry of Naples, Brittany Denbow of Georgia, Janelle Berry of New Haven, Conn., Sean and Isabelle Edwards of Pownal and Courtney Card of Harrison; brothers, Jack Dobbins of Houlton, David Dobbins of Santa Anna, Calif., and Joseph Dobbins of Otisfield; sisters, Rose Dobbins Estes of Oxford, Pamela Dobbins Wilkinson of Norway, and Linda Dobbins Clarke of Medford, Mass.; and countless nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents; her brothers Frederick, Lionel, Richard and, as an infant, Robert; and a sister, Nancy Dobbins.

She loved family gatherings. She loved holidays with family, the more the merrier. She is the only person ever to wear glasses and smoke a cigarette while swimming. She liked to dance, loved music. She enjoyed a good game of cribbage and other card games, although her favorite game was Frogger. In high school she was a great basketball player, earning the nickname “Stretch.” She also enjoyed tennis. She loved jokes and loved to play jokes on others. Her greatest pleasure was helping others. She loved to cook, and in her earlier days, knitted beautiful sweaters, and sewed and knit Barbie doll clothes. When she lost her ability to speak, texting was the way she kept in touch with others.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013, at St. Catherine of Sienna Catholic Church in Norway. A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013, at the Casco Village Church, 941 Meadow Road, Casco, from 2 to 4 p.m. Memorial donations may be made to Casco Rescue, 635 Meadow Road, Casco, ME 04015, or to the American Cancer Society.

Funeral arrangements were under the care of Hall Funeral Home, 165 Quaker Ridge, Casco, Maine.