Rose Marie Walker

She attended local schools while growing up on Deer St which was one of the streets in a section of Portland known as “Little Italy”. She was a communicant of St Peter’s Catholic Church in Portland. As a young woman, Rose worked in local factories and restaurants, then began working as a riveter on the Liberty ships in South Portland during the war. As one of the supervisors, she carefully checked the welding jobs and ensured that it was done correctly. Rose married Richard H Walker in 1944, and shortly afterwards moved with him to Vinalhaven, Maine. Once married, she mostly stayed at home raising her 3 children but often worked with her husband helping him out in anyway she could with his Commercial Fishing business. Rose provided a loving and caring home for her family where she kept constantly busy making all home cooked meals and deserts, preserving foods, gardening, knitting, sewing as well as entertaining her family and friends. She was extremely proud of her Sicilian heritage and raised her family with those traditions, as well. Moving back to Portland with her husband in 1977, she was able to reconnect with family members living in this area. She enjoyed Portland’s restaurants, shopping and weekend clubbing going disco dancing. There was no doubt that she loved and lived for all of her family and would do anything to protect them.

Rose was predeceased by her parents; her husband, Richard H Walker; her brothers, Emmanuel, Joseph, John, Vincent and her sisters Cratia (Grace), Philomena, and Mary.

She leaves two sons, Ronald and his wife Lorraine Walker of Tenants Harbor & Vinalhaven, Robert and his wife Nancy Walker of Rockport & Vinalhaven; a daughter, Jane Walker and her husband Michael Kotch of South Portland; a sister, Patricia Sanborn of Cumberland; grandchildren, Ricky, Manuel, Clayton Walker, Jason Hamilton of Vinalhaven, Andrea Fravert, Michael Walker of Scarborough, Christina Powell of Yarmouth and Amara Walker of Windham whom she helped raise like a daughter. 16 great grandchildren and 3 great-great grandchildren.

Family and friends are invited to a time of visitation from 2-5 pm on Sunday, March 12, 2017 at Jones Rich & Barnes Funeral Home, 199 Woodford St. Portland. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 am on Monday, March 13, 2017 at St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church, 72 Federal St. Portland. Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery in South Portland.

Please visit www.jonesrichandbarnes.com for additional information and to sign Rose’s online guest book