Maria Valerie ADAMS

PORTLAND - Maria Valerie Lemieux, 76, of Portland, died Sunday, Feb. 27, 2005 at Mercy Hospital, surrounded by her family.Maria was born in Berlin, N.H., Nov. 13, 1928, a daughter of Joseph and Lillian Fortin Adams where she attended schools graduating from Notre Dame High School.She fell in love with Leo H. Lemieux, one of her brother Al's best friends. They married in Berlin, N.H., on Aug. 23, 1947. Shortly after marrying, they moved to Westbrook and eventually settled in Portland, where they made their home for over 50 years at 15 Ninth St.Maria worked at S.D. Warren Paper Company for 25 years, taking time off to raise four children. She had many different jobs at S.D. Warren, including a long stint as the secretary for the Material Handling Department. When she retired in 1988, she was the Administrative Assistant in the Industrial Relations Department.Maria was a communicant at St. Joseph's Catholic Church. She enjoyed the company of family and friends. She also enjoyed entertaining and was an excellent cook.She and her husband loved to travel and went on several vacation trips that included Hawaii, Barbabos, Paradis Island, Paris and London.She was an avid spectator of both hockey and baseball. She especially enjoyed attending hockey games, when her husband and brother played. Later baseball became a consuming passion. She seldom missed a baseball game if one of her sons or grandsons were playing, and with so many sons and grandsons, that was a lot of games. When her boys were young, she supported their love of baseball and volunteering as treasurer and later serving as president of the Portland Babe Ruth League. In recent years, she attended many functions, such as high school plays, football and softball games, concerts, and many more, when her grandchildren were involved.She is predeceased by a brother Omer Adams who died in Berlin, N.H.Besides her husband of 57 years of Portland, she leaves her brother, Al Adams of Berlin,N.H.; a daughter, Pamela Lemieux of Portland; three sons, Ron and his wife Carol Lemieux of Cumberland, John Lemieux of Readfield, and Jim and his wife Debbie Lemieux of Gorham; and nine grandchildren, Briana, Adam, Brent, Joseph, Jared, Nicolas, Derek, Jonathan, and Matthew.Visiting hours will be held Friday, Mar. 4, from 4-8 p.m. at Jones, Rich & Hutchins Funeral Home, 199 Woodford St., Portland. Prayers will be recited at 10:15 a.m., Saturday, Mar. 5, at the funeral home to be followed by a funeral Mass at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph's Catholic Church. Interment will follow in the family lot at Evergreen Cemetery, Portland.