Barbara L. (Strout) (Farris) Pancoast
Barbara
Louise (Strout) (Farris, by adoption) Pancoast, 95, died October 17,
2012 at Beverly Hospital after a brief illness.
She was born in Oxford, Maine, on November 13, 1916, to Delma and Emma
(Harris) Strout, but was orphaned at age five and adopted by her aunt
Florence (Harris) Farris and raised by her aunt and her grandparents
Emma and John Jacob Astor Harris, in Mechanic Falls, Maine. She was a
resident of Manchester, NH, for forty-six years and had just moved to
Ipswich, in December 2011 to live with her youngest son.
She was educated in Mechanic Falls public schools and attended
beautician school in Portland Maine. She moved to New York City for her
work and loved that experience, but returned to Maine where she met and
married Wynfield S. (Bill) Pancoast from Pennsylvania. They were married
in his home state of Pennsylvania but made their home in Maine. Her
husband pre-deceased her in 1993. Prior to her illness, she worked for
many years as an electronics assembler in special top secret government
projects at (Lockheed) Sanders’ Associates in Nashua and then Merrimack,
NH, until her retirement in 1987. She was an avid furniture restorer and
home decorator, loved reading and collected antiques such as hat pins,
oil lamps and furniture. She loved any project that improved her home
and surroundings, indoor or out. She loved going for family vacations at
lakefront property in southern Maine. She had a lifelong love of all
things Maine. She had a remarkable sense of humor and a great memory.
She was a lifelong dog lover but was also very attached to her cat Tippy
at the end of her life. But most of all she cherished her family and
would do anything for any of them anytime, if it was within her
substantial power to do. She was proud of everything any of her children
and grandchildren did.
She was
pre-deceased by her son Gary who died in Manchester, NH in July 2011
after a brief illness. Surviving members of her family include her sons
Stephen J. Pancoast, MD of Moscow, PA, Jeffrey W. Pancoast, PE of Ft
Collins, CO, David P. Pancoast, Esq of Ipswich; and a daughter, Barbara
A. (Pancoast) Boland, Purchasing Agent, of Dracut, MA. She is also
survived by her grandchildren Elizabeth (Pancoast) Lanoue of Scarborough
ME, Kimberly Pancoast of Longmont, CO, Kristen (Pancoast) Vasquez of
Johnstown, CO, Kevin Boland of Dracut, and Jacob Pancoast of Ipswich;
and several great grandchildren, and nieces and nephews.
She will
be missed by all who were so lucky to have known her, especially her
loving family.
Visiting
hours will be held Tuesday October 23, 4 to 7 pm in the Whittier-Porter
Funeral Home, 6 High Street, Ipswich. Family and friends are
respectfully welcomed. Interment will be Wednesday in the Maple Grove
Cemetery, Mechanic Falls, ME. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be
made in memory of Barbara L. Pancoast to The Mary & John Elliot
Charitable Foundation, One Elliot Way, Manchester, NH 03103.
