Katherine Benoit Gibbons

Katherine was born in Portland on Jan. 4, 1924, the daughter of Henri A. Benoit and Katherine C. Walsh Benoit. She graduated from The Waynflete School in Portland in 1941, at that time an all-girls school with only 7 girls in her graduating class. Katherine graduated from Smith College in Northampton, Mass. in 1945 with a B.A., majoring in Spanish. After graduation, Katherine got her first professional job in Boston working at IBM as a Systems Service Representative. Her position involved helping to train employees of IBM during the punch card era. She later went on to work as the personal secretary to The Honorable Charles E Wyzanski, assisting him in all of his various legal affairs. While working in Boston in the early 1950's, Katherine was introduced to her future husband, John F. Gibbons, M.D. by his maternal aunt, a Sister of Mercy, Sister Mary Edith McCormack. Katherine and John were married in 1953, at the Holy Cross Church in South Portland. They spent their early married years living in Andover, Mass, while John worked at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. They later settled in Cape Elizabeth on the shores of Maiden Cove, raising their four children, Jack, Mary, Kate and Elizabeth. During these many happy years, Katherine not only supported her husband in his career as Chief Radiologist at the Maine Medical Center, and ran their household raising her family, she also served on countless community boards, helping to raise money for the Portland Museum of Art and the Portland Symphony Orchestra. Katherine also worked as a volunteer at the Sweetser Children's home, giving support to at risk youth, and was instrumental in developing a visitation and literacy program for incarcerated women at the Windham Correctional Facility.

Throughout Katherine's life, she was a devout Roman Catholic, and her faith and spiritual life remained a central abiding theme in all aspects of her life. She and John were founding members of St. Bartholomew Church in Cape Elizabeth, where Katherine spent many years singing in the choir and providing religious education to the catholic youth of Cape Elizabeth. Katherine also loved to attend Mass at St. Maximilian Kolbe Church in Scarborough, near her final residence, Piper Shores, where she and John moved in 2001, saying Good-bye to their beloved home after 43 wonderful years.

Katherine's many interests and hobbies included golf, gardening, travel, reading, meditation, playing bridge, theater, opera, playing all types of games with her grandchildren, singing, and skiing, both nordic and alpine, having taught all four of her children the great love of skiing during their many happy winters at Sugarloaf Mountain.Katherine was predeceased by her loving husband of 51 years in 2004, John F. Gibbons, M.D., and her three very special siblings, Arthur and Louis Benoit and Maria B. Hanley. She is survived by her four children, John F. Gibbons, Jr. and his wife, Maggie, of Bass Harbor, her daughter Mary Benson of Parsonsfield, her daughter Katherine Gibbons Hall and husband Steven Hall of Cape Elizabeth, and her daughter Elizabeth Gibbons Murray and husband Douglas Murray of Falmouth; her nine grandchildren, Ryan Gibbons and his wife Rebecca of Washington, D.C., Liam Gibbons of Auburn, John Francis Benson and Michael Benson of Parsonsfield, Jessica Benson Gould and husband Chris Gould of Lewiston, Hanna Gregor of San Diego, Calif., and Carey Gregor of Portland, Natalie and Audrey Murray of Falmouth; also, three great-grandchildren, Damien Gould of Lewiston, John F. Benson Jr of Parsonsfield, and Sydney Gibbons of Washington, D.C. Katherine also leaves behind her beloved "soul sister" and best friend, Patricia B. Quinlan of Portland; and countless nieces, nephews; and cousins with whom she shared a very special bond.

Katherine's family would like to sincerely thank the many special employees at Piper Shores, especially those on the assisted living unit, who so beautifully cared for her and because of their care and compassion, allowed her to live six wonderful months in a safe and loving environment. The family would also like to thank Katherine's beloved friend and caregiver, PJ Adams, as well as the staff at Comfort Keepers. We also wish to thank the many nurses, doctors, CNAs, social workers, volunteers, and chaplains who lovingly cared for Katherine at the end of her beautiful life both at The Maine Medical Center and The Gosnell Memorial Hospice House.

Visiting hours will be held Monday, Dec. 8 at Jones, Rich & Hutchins Funeral Home, 199 Woodford St., Portland from 6 – 8 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tuesday Dec. 9 at 11 a.m. from St Bartholomew's Catholic Church, Rt 77, Cape Elizabeth. A private family burial will followat a later date at the Calvary Cemetery, South Portland.

For further information and to sign Katherine's guestbook, please go to www.jonerichhutchins.comIn Katherine's loving memory, family and friends may wish to donate to the Hospice of Southern Maine's Gosnell Memorial Hospice House, 180 U.S. Route 1, #1, Scarborough, ME 04074 or the Maine Medical Center Development fund, 22 Bramhall St., Portland, ME 04102.