Maureen Moe Elizabeth Davis Ballenger

Portland – Maureen Elizabeth Ballenger, 54, of Yarmouth died unexpectedly on Sunday September 19, 2010. She was born in Albany, NY on March 15, 1956, a daughter of Catherine (Murray) and Emmett T. Davis. She attended Albany schools and graduated from Mercy High School, Class of 1974.

Education has always been an important part of Moe’s life and has had a life long and great love of learning. In 1976 she received an AS degree from Hudson Valley Community College; in 1978 a BS in Biology from Union College in Schenectady, NY; a Fellowship at the University of Texas School of Public Health and in 1980, a Master’s degree in Public Health from UT in Houston.

After graduating from the University of Texas, as a member of a church young adults group, she met a young man from Arkansas, and two years later, Moe and Luke Ballenger were married on July 3, 1982. Fifteen years ago Moe and family moved to Maine and for the last 13 years, Yarmouth has been home.

When first in Maine, Moe worked as a substitute teacher in Yarmouth schools and as a Reading teacher and “Ed Tech” in the Freeport school system. An opportunity in the Falmouth schools, lead her to take Special Ed classes at USM and in 2009 she received her Master’s in Education from USM. She was involved with special education needs at Falmouth High School for four years and most recently as a special education teacher at Falmouth Middle School. She was always a dedicated advocate for the students and their parents, always ready to go to bat for them.

Moe enjoyed traveling, reading learning more about the biology and psychology of learning, day trips in Maine, canoeing, movies, craft fairs and special “pilgrimages” to Bar Harbor with Luke. She will be remembered for any number of wonderful things, most notably her loving care and concern for others, supporting what was right, and her warm and “bubbly” personality that expressed itself with an infectious laugh.

Maureen is survived by her husband of 28 years, Luke Ballenger, III; her son Luke Emmett Ballenger; her daughter Victoria Rose Ballenger, all of Yarmouth; her brother Emmett Davis of MN; her brother James Davis of NY; her sister Catherine Davis of NY; her mother-in-law Pauline Ballenger of AR; six nephews and a very large circle of friends.

Visiting hours will be on Thursday September 23, 2010 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Lindquist Funeral Home, One Mayberry Lane, Yarmouth. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday September 24 at 11:00 AM at Holy Martyrs Catholic Church, 266 Foreside Road, Falmouth. Burial will be in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, East Greenbush, NY on Saturday September 25 at 11:00 AM.

Please visit www.lindquistfuneralhome.com to view a video collage of Moe’s life and to share your condolences, memories and tributes with the Ballenger Family.