Theodora Mary Rico

SCARBOROUGH - Theodora (Cormier) Rico passed away on Feb.15, 2018. She was born Aug. 4, 1922 to Leo P. Cormier and Laura (Despres) Cormier, the oldest of nine children.

She grew up in Bangor and graduated from John Bapst High School, class of 1941, with honors, She attended Burdett College in Boston, Mass. until Dec. 7, 1941 (Pearl Harbor Day) and was hired soon after by the Ordnance Department in Washington, DC. She was among the first group to work in the Pentagon as it was being built, using Marchant Calculators to calculate ammo into boxcars. After four months in conditions less than healthy, she returned to Bangor. She was then hired at Dow Air Force Base to teach the use of Marchant Calculators in the Commissary. Once that was accomplished, she was made secretary to the Transportation Officer. lt was at Dow that she met her future husband, John Rico, and they were married in April of 1943 in the Base Chapel.

Teddi resided in Rhode lsland with their daughter Marcia until John's return from the war in 1946. She lived in Rhode lsland, Bangor, Portland and Tampa, Fla. While in Portland, she was president of the St. Dominic's Mother's Club while their children were in school there. She was an expert knitter and seamstress and taught knitting to the children in school. She also became president of the Cathedral High School Parents' Club. ln Tampa, she was president of the Breakfast Club at St. Patrick s Church, with other New England members. The Breakfast Club raised enough money for the Church to buy them a truck and a sign for the front of the Church. Since 1990 she has lived in Scarborough and has been a parishioner of St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish, She volunteered for many committees there and until her recent illness, was a volunteer for the St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen in Portland with other members of St. Max.

She was predeceased by her parents; her son John Leo Rico in 2000; former husband John in 2011; daughter Marcia Ann Risbara and son-in-law Rocco Risbara in 2014; and siblings Lorraine Cormier, Shahan, Gerald Cormier, Edward Cormier, and Alfred Cormier.

Survivors include daughter Marilee and husband James Pandiscio, daughter Rosemary Rico and husband William Hodge; five grandchildren: Rocco Risbara lll (Mary Jane), William Risbara (Lisa), Marc Risbara, Leanne Dehler (Robert), and Jennifer Pandiscio; 15 great-grandchildren, and two great-great grandsons. Teddi is also survived by her siblings Florine Gable, Shirley DeGrasse, Raymond Cormier and Robert Cormier.

Visitation will be held at Jones, Rich & Barnes Funeral Home, 199 Woodford Street, Portland on Monday, Feb. 19, 2018 from 4-7 p.m. A funeral Mass will be celebrated by Msgr. Paul Stefanko on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018 at 10 a.m. at St. Maximilian Kolbe Church, 150 Black Point Road, Scarborough. Inurnment will follow at New Calvary Cemetery in South Portland.