Carmen Y. Blanchette

Carmen Y. Blanchette, 82, of Portland Street, passed away peacefully August 10, 2018 at the Gosnell Memorial Hospice House in Scarborough.

She was born April 19, 1936 in Lewiston, Maine, the daughter of Leo and Antoinette (Beaudry) Guilmet and graduated from Lewiston High School in 1954.  Carmen married the love of her life, Normand Blanchette in 1955 and would’ve celebrated 63 years of marriage on August 20. In their teens, Norm was introduced to Carmen by a friend. He saw her again, from a distance, at the Lewiston Fairgrounds and told his friends, “I’m going to marry that girl!”  He knew right then and there that she was the one.  And thus began their life long journey together. Carmen and Normand lived in Northern CA while Norm was in the US Air Force.  They then relocated to North Berwick in 1960 where she worked at Value House, Service Merchandise and then for Pratt & Whitney Aircraft in Personnel for many years.  Many used to joke that Carmen came with the building.  She was also fondly dubbed Mother Pratt.  She even got the plaque to prove it when she retired in 1993.

Carmen was the matriarch of her family with a generous heart the size of the moon.  Throughout her sickness, she continued to help others and care for Normand.  They loved to travel and were fortunate to see much of the world together. 

Carmen was pre-deceased by her son, Mark Blanchette in 1995, and her brother Leo Gerard Guilmet in 1998.  She will be sorely missed by her husband, Normand Blanchette of North Berwick; two daughters, Norma Pettegrow and her husband George of Biddeford; Nancy Chastain and her husband Bill of Aiken, SC. She was blessed to have nine grandchildren, Kate and Stephen Otis of Conover, NC; Mark Blanchette and his wife Jessica of Berwick, ME; Meredith and Cameron Nutter of Natick, MA; Joe Higgins and Bill Higgins of Sanford; Jennifer and Blake Taylor of Kailua, HI; Jamie Marigliano and Ryan Talpey of Jacksonville, NC; Cheryl Anderson of Washington D.C.; and five great grandchildren, Damian Walter of Portland; Nicole and Samantha Blanchette of Berwick, Emma Higgins of Sanford and Jasper Nutter of Natick, MA. 

At her request there will be no services.  Interment will be in Southern Maine Veterans Cemetery on August 15th at 1:00.  In lieu of flowers, have a Margarita or a Labatt Blue in her memory. She’d really like that! Friends who wish to make donation in her memory can do so on the Wentworth-Douglass Hospital webpage or mail to the Seacoast Cancer Center, c/o Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, 789 Central Ave, Dover, NH  03820.

Arrangements are entrusted to the Johnson Funeral Home, North Berwick, ME.  Condolences may be expressed at www.JohnsonFuneralHomeME.com

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