Jean Sass

Freeport - Jean Amy (Crawford) Sass, 84, died Saturday, June 11, 2011, at her home in Freeport following a long illness with heart failure. She was born Mary Margaret Andrews in Burlington, VT, on December 22, 1926, a daughter of Lema Frank Carter and Francis Edna Andrews. She was placed for adoption at the Alice Chapin Adoption Nursery of New York, from where she was taken in at the age of 5 months old by Daisy G. Crawford, a traveling nurse from Longmeadow, MA, who formally adopted her at 22 months old and changed her name to Jean Amy Crawford.

Because of the traveling nature of her adopted mother’s work, Mrs. Sass received her secondary education at several New England locations before graduating from Cony High School in Augusta in 1943. She matriculated at Boston University’s Sargent School in the College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, where she graduated in 1945 with a degree in physical education. There, she met her first husband, Leonard P. Couture, whom she married in 1949.

In 1953, the couple moved north to Waterville, ME, where they raised their family. In 1958, with her family grown, Jean began her 28-year teaching career at Waterville Junior High School as a physical education teacher and later as a health science teacher, where she also coached softball and field hockey. Under Jean’s tenure, along with Charlie Merrill, Waterville Junior High School students won the Maine State Championship for the Presidential Physical Fitness Award. She also served as the Waterville site chairman for the girl’s State Gymnastic Meet. Jean also had a special place in her heart for special needs children. Known for her enthusiasm for physical fitness and sense of good humor marked by practical jokes, Jean was much beloved by both her fellow teachers and students alike.

During her time teaching, Mrs. Sass went on to receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from the University of Maine in 1966.

After retiring from teaching in 1986, Mrs. Sass enjoyed traveling to places in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Europe. For many years she wintered in Yuma, AZ and during the summers, traveled east to stay with her children, with whom she enjoyed gardening, fishing and boating on Sheepscot Lake in Palermo, Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire and sailing on Casco Bay.

Aside from her teaching career, Mrs. Sass enjoyed many hobbies, interests and talents, which she shared with her children. She had a deep abiding love and respect for all wildlife, instilling the same in her children during nature walks in the woods and fields or by lakes, streams and ocean tidal pools. She was a real animal lover, having taken in from the wild, orphaned and injured squirrels, raccoons, skunks, turtles, ducks, owls, and crows, to name a few, in addition to the usual household pets. After nursing the animals from the wild back to health, she would release them to their natural habitat. She and her family took care of so many animals that neighbors dubbed her household, “The Couture Zoo.” She also had a “green thumb” gardening. Jean loved life, saying, “Every day is a good one, if you know what to do with it.”

A fierce competitor and believer in physical fitness, Jean kept active into her early eighties, winning more than 100 medals in Senior Olympics in such sports as darts and horseshoes, successfully challenging even her children and their spouses’ decades younger than she. In 2006, she earned a place in the Senior Olympics 100 Medal Club. Her competitive spirit also extended to card playing with friends and family, to whom she taught many a game. Jean was an avid reader and also enjoyed music of many genres. She was also very artistic, having created her own greeting cards that she sent to family and friends for all sorts of occasions.

Mrs. Sass is predeceased by her late husbands: Leonard P. Couture of Waterville, ME; Maurice Cyr of Belgrade, ME; Russell Sass of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada; by her son, Joseph Cyr of Plainville, CT and by her sister, Mary H. Carter of Pittsford, VT. She is survived by her siblings: her brother, Edward L. Carter and step-sister H. Ellen (“Barbara”) Kingsley, both of Pittsford, VT and her brother, John P. Morrissey, of Bennington, VT; by her children: daughter, Diane Paul and her husband Timothy of Palermo, ME; daughter, Dale Poulin and her husband Richard of Okmulgee, OK; daughter, Jean Aranson and her husband Robert of Freeport, ME; son, L. Peter Couture of Northfield, NH; 18 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held of Saturday, July 9, 2011 at a place to be determined. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to a charity of your choice.