1926 - 2020
GORHAM – Caroline Winch, 93, of Gorham/Portland, passed away at home on Saturday, January 11, 2020, while surrounded by her girls. She was born in Farmington on November 30, 1926, the only child of Nelson and Mary Ann (Wilcox) Dingley. She grew up in West Farmington, attended local schools and graduated from Farmington High School in 1944.
In 1945, she joined the United States Cadet Nurse Corps and graduated from Maine General Hospital Training School for Nurses in Portland Maine in 1948. She was very proud to serve her country as a Cadet Nurse. Oh, how she loved to tell tales about her time in nursing school and it was during that time that she met her husband to be during one of the many dances they attended at the Officers Club.
She married John L. Winch Jr. on June 18th, 1948 and together they raised 6 daughters. After her youngest started school she reentered the work force and she became a Teacher’s Assistant for Portland Public Schools working at Rosa True, Butler and Reiche Schools until her retirement in the 1988. After retirement, she volunteered at Maine Medical Center for many years.
Caroline remained close to all of her cousins in Farmington and Aroostook County. Caroline was also the Matriarch of her husband’s family where they all loved “Aunt Caroline”. She was a great story teller/family historian but she would often say “I believe that to be fact but I have been known to be wrong”. Although Caroline lived in Portland/Gorham for 75 years, she always said she was from West Farmington Maine. She always tried to be at her camp on Clearwater Lake at the time of the Dingley Family Reunion. In the summer of 2019, she attended the 69th annual reunion where she had the distinction of being the oldest of the Dingley Clan. Caroline was all about having fun and she had a flair for theatrics such as performing the Frog Stand, demonstrating the Bob a Loop and singing quirky songs like 100 bottles of beer on the wall.
Caroline is predeceased by her parents; her husband John; her daughter Patricia and her son in-law Jim. She is survived by her daughters and their spouses, Mary Ann and Dennis Currier; Suzanne Meserve; Joanne and Steven Brewster; Debra Winch; and Faith and Bill Fenderson. She is also survived by her grandchildren, great grandchildren and their spouses, Caroline and Ben Raymond; Matthew and Ana Paula Fasulo; Billy Fenderson; Adam and Amanda Fenderson; Gabrielle Raymond; Finnegan Raymond; Ashley Fasulo and Matthew Fasulo Jr.
The family invites you to a time of visitation on Friday January 17th from 10:00 to 11:00am, followed by a Celebration of Life Service at 11:00am and a reception at 12:00pm at Jones, Rich & Barnes Funeral Home, 199 Woodford St, Portland, ME.
The family would like to thank the staff of Hospice of Southern Maine for the support and care over the past few months.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation to: Henderson Memorial Baptist Church Fund , P.O. Box 147, Farmington, ME 04938
