Laura Virginia Caminiti

Laura grew up on Adam Street on Munjoy Hill where she was a communicant of St. Peter’s Catholic Church. She graduated from Portland High School in 1946 and enjoyed being a Majorette.

She met her husband, Michael F. Caminiti, through her Uncle Pete when Michael saw her graduation picture in his shop and was very interested in meeting her. They were married almost 46 years until his death in 1993 and resided and raised their seven children in the Deering Center neighborhood.

Laura worked for Blue Cross & Blue Shield until her marriage. She started painting when her youngest was 4 years old, under the skilled guidance of Esther Barney. She was extremely gifted and taught in several local assisted living facilities, her home and private residences.

Laura wrote several memoires about her family and “A Memoire of the Great Depression” (which resides in the Portland Historical Society). In later years, she taught Before and After School Care for the YMCA at Longfellow School where she was affectionately called “Mrs. C”. She was a member of St. Joseph’s Church where she taught CCD when her children were school aged.

Laura was an avid gardener, a jewelry maker, bingo player and active member of Italian Heritage Center where she loved to sing Karaoke. She loved spending summers at the family cottages at Highland Lake and then Old Orchard Beach. She moved to Deering Pavilion in 2017 where she resided until she became a resident of the Barron Center.

She was pre-deceased by her husband, Michael; a daughter, Diane Caminiti; son-in-law, Edward Fowler; two brothers, Francis (Frankie) Cavallaro and Francis Cavallaro; brother in laws, Joseph Caminiti and John Caminiti; sisters, Anna Anania and Louise Vachon; sister in laws, Virginia Shaw and Eleanor Caprio Small.

She is survived by daughters, Maria Fowler, Patricia Watson (Royce), Anita Birch (David), Laurie Nappi (Abby Miller); sons, Michael Caminiti and Steven Caminiti (Gina); 19 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren; sisters, Caroline Greenlaw (William) and Frances Porter (Herb); brother, Louis Cavallaro (Margaret); sister in laws, Grace Vandermast Thomas and Myrna Caminiti; special friend, Jim Conley. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank the skilled, kind and compassionate staff at the Barron Center where she resided in the past year and was so lovingly cared for in the Zolov Unit and Compasses Hospice Care for their guidance as we navigated her end of life care.

Visiting hours will be held from 4-7 pm on Thursday, March 9, 2023 at Jones, Rich & Barnes Funeral Home, 199 Woodford St. Portland, where a funeral service will be held at 11 am on Friday, March 10, 2023. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery in South Portland.

Please visit www.jonesrichandbarnes.com to sign Laura’s online guest book.

Donations can be made in her memory to the Life Enrichment Program at the Barron Center, 1145 Brighton Avenue, Portland, Me 04102 who provided her with countless hours of joy in her final year of life.