Albertine "Tina" Foster Parker

Falmouth – Albertine “Tina” Parker, 82, of Falmouth died April 29, 2011 at Gosnell Memorial Hospice House after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease and with her loving family by her side.

She was the daughter of Arthur Leslie and Cora Stults Foster. She was born in Portland, Maine and lived in Falmouth for most of her childhood years and all of her adult life. She met her husband of 62 years, Eugene Parker, at a Grange Hall dance and they married in November, 1949 and built their life together at their homestead.

She was a homemaker and caregiver her entire life. She loved to share her stories of how she contributed to her family by caring for her younger four siblings in her early teens. She opened her door to all of them and their friends in her young married life and always pulled together a snack or a meal, no matter what time they showed up. She cared for her husband's grandmother, mother and was an amazing caregiver to her own mother who lived with her and battled dementia. She was quite a cook and made homemade biscuits, cry baby cookies, canned vegetables from her garden and homemade pickles.

Tina was an incredible animal lover - her pets were her world. After she married, she learned quickly how to help care for her husband’s team of horses, the riding horses, pigs, steers and cows. She always loved to share her stories about how she could drive the team of steers far better than her husband because she did it her way and she was proud of it. She learned to ride horses after her oldest daughter moved to Hawaii. Tina and her husband belonged to the Cumberland County Riding Club and had very fond memories of trail rides and fun days.

In later years, she and her husband rode their four-wheelers on day trips up until his death in August, 2010. She loved the scenery, enjoyed picking berries off the trail and picnics together. Her dog, Simon, became her faithful companion and he was attentive and caring to her.

Tina was the mother of two daughters born 21 years apart. She stayed home and raised both of them lovingly and made them her whole world. They each had big families and she was surrounded by a lot of love from her grandchildren and made each one of them feel just how special they are in her own way.

She was pre-deceased her husband Eugene B. Parker, her parents, her brother Arthur Foster Jr., her sister Lois Hope, her grandson Daniel Josephs and her great-grandson Parker Jensen.

She is survived by her two daughters: Lois and her husband William (Bill) Roy and their children: William (Jr.) Roy, Stephen Roy, Kevin Roy, Rebecca Roy Fredericks, Christie Roy Jensen, and their families; her daughter Ellen and her husband Jeffery Josephs and their children: Kathryn, Bethany, Megan and Hannah Josephs. Tina is also survived by eight great-grandchildren, her brothers Roy Foster and Stephen Foster and several nieces and nephews.

Visiting hours will be on Tuesday May 3, 2011 from 6 – 8 PM at Lindquist Funeral Home, One Mayberry Lane, Yarmouth, ME 04096. Funeral services will also be at the funeral home on Wednesday May 4 at 10:00 AM and officiated by Rev. Philip Shearman. Burial will follow in Blanchard Cemetery. Please visit www.lindquistfunerralhome.com to share your condolences, memories and tributes with Tina’s family. A video collage will be available for viewing on Monday.

Tina’s family would like to thank all of the amazing staff at the Gosnell Memorial Hospice House. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Hospice of Southern Maine, Attn: Development, 180 US Route One #1, Scarborough, ME 04074 or Alzheimer's Association, Maine Chapter, 383 US Route One, Suite 2C, Scarborough, ME 04074