Rose M True

Rose Profenno True age 93 of Baxter Blvd formerly of Falmouth died Thursday evening June 6, 2013 at Mercy Hospital with her loving family by her side.She was born in Portland the daughter of Camillo and Sabia DiMatteo Profenno. She attended local schools graduating from Deering High School Class of 1937; Westbrook Junior College (currently known as University of New England), and the School of Fine and Applied Arts ( currently known as Maine College of Art).Rose was the bookkeeper for Profenno Associates, and a realtor at Pike Reality in Portland. She also helped out in the office at her husband's company Overhead Door Company of Portland.However, her full-time, part-time, all-time job was her family, both immediate and extended. She was a devoted daughter to parents who immigrated from Lettomanoppello, Italy and later a constant companion to her mother Sabia, who was widowed in this country with seven children. She was a fun loving and supportive sister to her many siblings and a friend and resource to her many cousins upon cousins.Rose met Maurice L. True, Jr, at a St. Joseph's Church fair where she scooped him what he considered a "kiddie"size ice cream cone. Standing over 6' tall, Maurice thought he deserved a larger portion...and so began a 60 - year love affair-with each other and with ice cream! They were married on July 14, 1943 and had four children, 13 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.Rose and Maurice were life-long members of the Italian Heritage Center where Rose helped create and produce the Fashion and Variety Shows and so many other festive events to raise money for the needy in Portland. Rose was also a past president of Women's Rotary. She was an artist who loved to paint the beautiful seascapes of our local beaches. A connection to the water started early at her family's cottage at Willard Beach in South Portland where she would spend much of the summer as a child. That passion continued when, in 1952, she helped her mother, Sabia, find the perfect location on Little Sebago Lake for the extended family to spend time together. This is where she and all her siblings and their families lived, swam, fished, played and of course, like all good Italian families, ate together all summer long. There are still six tables in the camp's kitchen where each family sat together to dine. Rose would fill her old Beach Wagon with kids and threaten to turn around if they didn't ride cooperatively to the lake.She and her husband, Maurice, enjoyed playing golf at the Portland Country Club and at their winter retreat in Sarasota, Florida where they loved to host family and friends. They also spent time traveling to Italy and surrounding countries.Rose was a quintessential super-Mom, long before the phrase was coined. She could do anything and if she didn't know how, she learned. She was an incredible Mom who cherished her family and stood by them, or in front of them, or behind them to provide the right support. She was a talented artisan, homemaker and joker. Her boundless energy, generosity, commitment, and extreme love of her family near and far kept her strong through many difficult times. Family was at the heart of everything important in her world.She was a long-time communicant of St. Joseph's Catholic Church and organizer of its Annual Bazaar. She was a terrific cook , elegant baker , and an accomplished seamstress who made clothes for her children, for needy children, and sewed into the wee hours of the night designing fabulous, original, outfits for her daughter's Barbie dolls.Besides her husband, she is predeceased by her parents, brothers: Donato, Domenic, Samuel; sisters: Filomena, Isabel, Angela and 2 grandchildren: Marissa True and Kevin MacDonald. She leaves 2 sons; Michael and his wife Judy True of Falmouth, James True of Portland, 2 daughters: Janice True Fowler and Betsy True Nilsen both of Portland. Grandchildren: Brent Nilsen of Colorado, Christopher Nilsen of Texas, Matthew True of Florida, Megan True of New Hampshire, Lindsey True, and Michael True of Massachusetts, Eric True, Carolyn Taylor, Craig Fowler, Manda Magee, and Brian True all of Maine, great grandchildren: Hannah and Josh Perkins; David and Elizabeth Fowler; Riley, Hunter and Kaylee Magee; Ivy and Kevin True; and Sophia Segal all of Maine.There will be no visiting hours. Family and friends are invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial to be celebrated on Tuesday June 11, 2013 at 10AM at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Portland. Interment will follow at Calvary Cemetery, South Portland. All are invited to attend a reception following the service at the Portland Country Club from 1 to 3 PM. Those wishing to send a tribute in Rose's memory may do so at www.jonesrichandhutchins.com. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Rose's memory to the American Heart Association, Maine Chapter, 51 US Route #1, Suite M, Scarborough, ME 04074. Arrangements are under the care and direction of Jones, Rich & Hutchins Funeral Home, Portland.