Miranda Travers

As glistening, radiant snowflakes touched the earth on Thursday, February 11, 1988, so did a glistening, radiant gift named Miranda Jo Downs Travers. These tiny snowflakes seemed to magically infuse into Miranda’s eyes to create the most brilliantly blue eyes many had ever seen. As an adult, these eyes, along with her rosy cheeks and long braided hair, would cause small children to ask her if she was a Disney princess as she smiled at them while working at Hannaford and Northern Light Lab.

When Miranda was five years old, her sheep floated down the Kennebec River and landed in the corn fields of the Caverly Farms in Clinton. For the next week, the Caverly and Travers families spent hours together trying to catch a herd of sheep in corn fields. Amanda Caverly and Miranda became best of friends and Miranda became involved in 4-H, Brownies, and then Girl Scouts with Amanda and her family. When Miranda was a freshman in high school, the Travers family moved to Fairfield where Miranda would fast become friends with Sarah Cain, Lindsay Mestieri, and Kasey McPhail, among many other field hockey and softball players, and many more students at Lawrence High School. Countless team suppers, summers playing softball and hanging out at Camp Cain with Sarah, endless hours practicing the Napoleon Dynamite dance with Kasey, and four wheeling adventures and a trip to Boston with Lindsay filled Miranda’s high school years. It was only after they were adults did Miranda’s parents, Rusty and Tracie, learn of their late night shenanigans that included climbing out Miranda’s brother, Mason’s bedroom window, stealing street signs, a flagrant misuse of a carton of eggs in the Wal-Mart parking lot, and skipping study halls to go to Hillman’s. Miranda and her friends graduated from Lawrence High School in Fairfield June, 2006.

Miranda’s life was also filled with family and she loved her family fiercely. She was one of thirteen grandchildren on her mother’s side, and the oldest of five grandchildren on her father’s side. One of Miranda’s fondest memories was when she and her cousins Ainsley, Colby, and Isabelle shared a huge house in Florida with their families for Christmas and everyone went to Disney and Universal studios. Miranda loved teasing Colby, loving on Isabelle, and talking into the night with Ainsley. The kids still say that was the best Christmas ever because of the time they were able to spend so closely with one another. Miranda was closer in age to her cousins on her mom’s side, and these cousins spent every summer and school vacation together from birth to their teen years. Many summers were spent swimming at Aunt Shannon and Uncle Steve’s and at the island, running in fields or going to Funtown Splashtown with Uncle Jack, going to a pool or bible camp with Aunt Stacie (Sissy), or riding scooters in the basement and four wheeling in the woods in Fairfield. Many cousins remain close today and share stories of a Cousins’ weekend white water rafting trip with a little too much fun the night before, good morning videos to start the day with laughter, driving a four wheeler on the ice in a T-Rex costume, and Randa’s dinosaur hand puppets while doing just about any task because – well, why not?

Miranda’s greatest love of all is her brother, Mason. Miranda was six years old when Mason was born and she committed herself to loving him unconditionally and fully at his first breath. Miranda snuggled her brother when he was a baby, ran into the house to see him after her days at school, read books to Mason every night, practiced his ABC’s and writing, and most of all, sang and danced with him. Miranda sang the song, Godspeed (Sweet Dreams) by The Chicks to Mason every night before he fell asleep for years. When Mason left home to go to Officer Candidate School in the Marine Corps, Miranda received a late night text from her brother with a link to this song. In his most trying time at training, he was carried through with memories of his sister singing to him. Miranda and Mason danced together in the kitchen, living room, families’ homes, parking lots, and grassy fields their whole lives. At their Aunt Kelly’s wedding in 2007, Miranda and Mason danced nearly every song at the reception, so much so that multiple wedding guests commented to their parents that they loved how Miranda and Mason danced so well together and had so much fun together as sister and brother. Mason spun, lifted, and twirled his sister with ease; in fact, the two together perfected the Dirty Dancing lift. With both Miranda and Mason also being karate students at Huard’s Dojo in Winslow, their dancing extravaganzas could move from dancing to grappling to dancing again within seconds. Fortunately, this only happened in their home.

Miranda was a bright light filled with spontaneity, humor, positive energy, and a radiant smile. As a small child, Miranda danced before she walked, sang while doing anything, and kept her parents on their toes. She laughed so hard she snorted, was always there when someone needed help, said yes to any adventure, was our go-to for crafts and creative projects, and had an amazing sense of humor and hundreds of one liners and goofy looks. She had never-ending happiness – until it ended; she protected everyone she loved and people she didn’t know. She fought for people who could not fight for themselves, and raised her voice to honor others’ whose voices were silenced due to injustice, hate, and ignorance. She always held the door open for the next person, gave her seat to an older person, and took the time to hear a stranger’s story. Miranda was unapologetically herself, she celebrated differences and embraced everyone’s uniqueness. She had the biggest heart and would do anything for anyone, even if it meant it took something away from herself.

Miranda held several jobs after college and enjoyed her coworkers at each place. For years Miranda would speak of her co-workers in nearly all the Departments at Hannaford at the Elm and JFK plazas in Waterville. For the past few years, Miranda has enjoyed being a Phlebotomist at Northern Light Lab in Bangor, now Quest Diagnostic. While at Northern Light, Miranda met Neil Sands. Neil and Miranda were co-workers for a few months until Neil decided to ask Miranda out to dinner. When Miranda told her co-workers she told Neil yes, the co-workers exhaled and said, “Finally!” Apparently it was obvious to many other people in the office by Miranda and Neil’s laughter, smiles, and Miranda’s blushing cheeks, that they were perfect for one another. Though Neil and Miranda’s time together was much too brief, both families remarked about how absolutely happy they made one another. Miranda had the biggest smile, most sparkly blue eyes, and reddest cheeks when she spoke about Neil. They played cribbage, went on drives, did yoga, watched movies, and simply were together and content. Tuesday, March 28th, as Miranda’s parents went to bed, they were speaking about Miranda and how absolutely happy she was with her career and with Neil. Miranda was the happiest her parents had ever seen her, as her cousin Katie would say, “Randa was a whole different level of happy with Neil.” Less than thirty minutes later, a police officer would share the news of Miranda’s passing, and hundreds of lives would be changed forever. Miranda passed with Neil close to her and the Travers family is tremendously grateful for Neil’s love and dedication to Miranda.

Miranda was born February 11, 1988 and passed March 28, 2023. She is survived by her parents, Henry (Rusty) and Tracie Travers, and her brother, Mason Travers. She is also survived by her grandparents, Henry and Jean Travers; Paternal Aunts and Uncle: Kelly Travers, Pamela and Chad Corson; Maternal Aunts and Uncles: Stacie Downs, Shannon Downs, Steve Lund, Jack Downs, and Mary MacMaster. Cousins include: Katie and Melanie Guzman; Josh Lund; Lisa, Heather, and Jack Downs; Jimmy and Jon Downs; Tony and Danyielle MacMaster; Ainsley and Colby Corson; and Isabelle DeVanna. Her family believes Miranda was greeted at Heaven’s gate by her cousin Mikey Lund, Uncle Jim Downs Jr., loving grandmother, Annie Downs, and great grandparents.

Please join her family Thursday, April 6th at 11 am at Notre Dame de Lourdes Church in Skowhegan with reception immediately following at the Enchanted Gables in Oakland. In lieu of flowers, please bring art supplies to the church to celebrate Miranda’s love of art. These supplies will be donated to students in local schools. If you are not able to attend the service, art supplies can be mailed to Travers Electric, PO Box 668, Skowhegan, Maine 04976. Other ways to honor Miranda would be to donate art supplies to a nearby school, give money to a high school lunch program for overdue lunch accounts, or donate to a local Animal Shelter.

Please be kind to one another, laugh fully, dance like no one is watching, and send an “I love you” message when you think of it – don’t wait.

Godspeed, Miranda Jo.