Cyr, Marilyn A., 64, May 9, 2015. Calling hours are tonight, Wednesday, May 13, at Brookings-Smith, Bangor and Thursday, May 14 from 6-8 p.m. at Giberson-Dorsey Funeral Home, Fort Fairfield. A graveside service will be held Friday, May 15 at 12:30 p.m. at St. Louis Catholic Cemetery, Limestone, after which family and friends are invited to St. Louis Catholic Church for refreshments and remembrances. Arrangements by Brookings-Smith Funeral Home, Bangor.
VEAZIE – The richly rewarding and wonderful life of a thoroughly decent and charitable woman has come to its earthly end. The loving, devoted and fiercely loyal family and friends of Marilyn Angela Cyr are deeply saddened to note her passing in their presence on Saturday, May 9, 2015, after a thirteen-month battle against cancer and the effects of a devastating hemorrhagic stroke.
Marilyn entered this world on August 3, 1950, at A.R. Gould Memorial Hospital in Presque Isle, the fifth child and only daughter of Louis E. and Kathleen Mary Ellen (Keefe) Cyr. Known as “Marilyn” to her family and as “Muffy” to her friends, she was raised in Limestone and enjoyed the adoring attention of her four much older brothers, while living the life of the quintessential baby boomer.
After graduating from Limestone High School in 1968, Marilyn attended the University of Maine at Orono and was inducted into All Maine Women. She graduated in 1972 with B.A. in Political Science and her teaching certificate. Following a stint in Washington as an intern in the office of U.S. Senator William Hathaway, Marilyn began her teaching career in 1973 as a Social Studies teacher at Brewer Middle School, retiring in 2011 after 37 years of dedicated service.
The Asticou Inn in Northeast Harbor provided the backdrop for fun times and blissful memories during summers in college and during school summer vacations. For forty-five years, Marilyn worked in diverse capacities as chambermaid, head housekeeper, desk clerk, reservations manager, special functions assistant and floral arranger. Her home-away-from-home from May through October was the rustic and somewhat dilapidated “Bungalow” behind the Hatch residence. Gearing up for another draining Asticou season required an annual week along Florida’s west coast every April.
Marilyn remarried on November 10, 2009, to Jeffrey Legro, prompting a relocation to Veazie after 32 years on West Broadway in Bangor. Marilyn’s long-time interest in attending auctions and reselling her purchases matched well with Jeff’s self-employment in the antiques business. They were constantly on the road seeking out auctions and maintaining resale booths in Hampden, Detroit and Trenton.
From Limestone to UMaine to BMS to Asticou Inn, Marilyn developed deep and lasting friendships that she nurtured to her final days. Her good nature, easy sense of humor and generosity were returned in spades by a large and loyal cadre of wonderful friends who in turn nurtured her. Marilyn always put her brothers and her many nephews and nieces first, once declaring in the midst of her recent difficulties, “I love all my nephews and nieces with all my heart. I truly do. But I absolutely adore my brothers. They are my world.” Her family loved and adored her in return. Family and friends will miss her planning and organizing skills, her amazing energy, her ”Nancy Drew” loves a mystery personality streak and her hilarious and sometimes slightly daffy telephone messages.
Marilyn is survived by her husband and her brothers and sisters-in-law, Honorable Conrad Cyr and wife Diana, Thomas, Michael and wife Eleanor, and Daniel; her nephews, Jon, Peter, Robert, Keefe and Jeffrey Cyr; her nieces, Julie Carciero, Kirsten Ismail and Heidi Cyr; her goddaughter, Shelley Griffeth Cyr and godson, Shane Cote; three grandnephews and three grandnieces. Marilyn also leaves her dearest lifelong friend, Jane Griffeth and dear friend, Darylen Cote, both of Limestone; her UMaine friends, Michele Alex and Melissa Madden; her BMS friends, Suzanne Malis Anderson, Julie Brown, Sue McCallum, Len and Nancy Price, and Brenda Willis; her Asticou Inn friends, Marina Baronas, Esther Cavagnaro, Edie Dubois and Albert and Carol Hamor; her friend and first husband, Richard Robinson.
Marilyn was predeceased by her parents; her sisters-in-law, Judy Cyr and Sandra Cyr; and dear BMS and Asticou Inn colleague, Guy J. Toole.
All who knew Marilyn were keenly aware of her deep love for animals, especially cats, of which two survive her – Cappy and Kiska. At Marilyn’s request, those who would like to donate in her memory may do so by contributing to one of the following: Central Aroostook Humane Society, 26 Cross Street, Presque Isle, ME 04769; Ark Animal Shelter, 6 Barber Lane, Cherryfield, ME 04622-4430; Bangor Humane Society, 693 Mt. Hope Avenue, Bangor, ME 04401, the American Cancer Society, One Bowdoin Mill Island, Suite 300, Topsham, ME. 04086, or a local unit thereof.
Relatives and friends are welcome to call 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, May 13, 2015, at Brookings-Smith, 133 Center Street, Bangor and 6-8 p.m. Thursday, May 14, 2015, at Giberson-Dorsey Funeral Home, 144 Main Street, Fort Fairfield. A graveside committal service will be held on Friday, May 15, 2015, at 12:30 p.m. at St. Louis Catholic Cemetery in Limestone. After the service, family and friends are invited to St. Louis Catholic Church in Limestone for refreshments and remembrances of Marilyn. Condolences to the family may be expressed at www. BrookingsSmith.com.
