Shirley J Jipson

Her 90 year journey began on French Island in Old Town, a close community of relatives, neighbors and friends. Life on the Island during the Depression and World War II was one of a community taking care of each other, the carrying on of family traditions and Church life. In the 1980’s we went on a walking tour with Mom on the Island and she told us the stories of where she lived as a child, the neighbors and who lived in the houses, the swimming on the river, and her Grandmother’s (Marie Odina Landry Levasseur) store. Her brother Henry would tell the story of Mom singing at night when they all went to bed. They would ask her to stop so they could go to sleep. She would stop, wait a few minutes, and then break out in song again. As a young adult, she worked at the Shoe Shop. She participated in a strike at one point, advocating for better pay and benefits. She also worked at the Old Town Bus Stop and at Godin’s Restaurant. In the mid 1950’s, she also sang with the band Bobby Jones and the Bobcats. They usually played at Dow Field and other various venues in the Bangor area. She had a close group of girlfriends and they would go together to as many dances as they could. Roller skating was also a popular activity. She also lived for a time in Miami, Florida with her sister Fran. They both worked for Southern Bell, the telephone company. In 1956 she met her husband, Edward Olson from Boston who was attending the University of Maine, a member of Phi Kappa Sigma. They were married that year. After 17 years of marriage, Mom and her three daughters came back to Maine for a new life. She went back to school to get her High School Diploma, of which her daughters and their friends attended her graduation, standing and clapping when she was handed her diploma. She attended EMVTI (now EMCC) to become a C.N.A. She worked at James Taylor Hospital and retired from The Orono Nursing Home. The favorite part of her job was attending with loving care to the dying residents. She also would bring in her granddaughters and daughter Nancy to play cards and games with the residents at Taylor Hospital. After retiring she did home nursing and Senior Companionship for many years. Mom’s Church life was very active. As a member of Holy Family Parish, she was a Sacristan, a Lector, and a Eucharistic Minister. She also teamed up with her daughter Pam to tend to all the flower gardens at the Church, which she still did last summer. Her unwavering commitment to the gardens at church was something she deeply loved in helping to create a reflection of God’s gift of nature. She will be remembered by all of those she touched as a loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin and friend.

She is survived by her daughters: Joan (Jon) Wiley of Bath, ME, Pamela (Jeff) Dunphy of Old Town and Nancy (Ray Chavaree) Bartlett of Bangor; grandchildren Julie Wickett, Jen (Adam) Downey, Dan Wickett, Christine (Harrison) Stewart, Joe Dunphy, Cassandra Bartlett and Sam Bartlett; great-grandchildren Ethan Testa, Clover Kelly, Carter O’Clair, Justin Cote, Brandon Appel, Tristan Stewart and Chase Stewart, her brother and sister-in-law, Dick and Cora LeVasseur of Georgetown, TX and sister-in-law Rita LeVasseur of Old Town and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents, her sister Frances MacDonald, brothers Henry LeVasseur and Edward LeVasseur and her loving niece Cheryl LeVasseur.

Visitation will be at Birmingham Funeral Home 438 Main St, Old Town on May 16th from 4 to 7 pm, with the Daughters of Isabella reciting the Rosary at 4:30 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 9AM Friday May, 17th Parish of the Resurrection, Holy Family Church, 429 Main St. Old Town. Burial will follow at Lawndale Cemetery in Old Town. A reception will follow in the Parish Hall.

Please join us in her celebration of life. We send loving thanks to all the nurses and CNA.s for the wonderful, nurturing and professional care she received at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center and a special shout out to her “sweetie pie”. If anyone would like to make a donation in her name, you may do so to the Garden Fund at her Parish by mailing it to in the name of: Parish of the Resurrection, Holy Family Garden Fund, 429 Main St, Old Town, Maine 04468.