CAPE ELIZABETH- Mary Robin Corwin Guthrie, 83, of Cape Elizabeth, passed away peacefully on April, 8, 2017. She was born in Austin, Texas on June 18, 1933 to Joseph Orville Corwin and Gladys Logan Hufstutler Corwin. She graduated from Austin High School and attended the University of Texas in Austin. Mary Robin spoke fondly of summers at Camp Mystic, and the lifelong friendships that she began during her childhood. All of her friends remember the vitality and spunk of this remarkable lady who had the ability to pull herself up by her bootstraps in any situation. She was reliable, trustworthy and honest, and for many people the brightest light in their lives. Mary Robin owned and operated the House of Frames at 863 Broadway in South Portland for nearly 50 years. A proud Texan, she flew the flag in front of the frame shop with a sign on the door that said “ten-ish to four-ish.” Current and former employees stayed in touch for years and many of them considered her an integral part of their family. She was always so curious about who you were without the slightest bit of judgement and truly had a gift for knowing exactly what you needed most. Then filling that need making you feel like the most important person in the world. Devoted to her family and friends, home, and her business, her greatest joy was to make life fun. Her laughter was a constant presence in the lives of everyone who knew her. She taught her children all kinds of games (only rarely were any of us ever able to beat her at Scrabble) and gave us the tools to stay connected to each other.
She is preceded in death by her parents and her big sisters Joan and Courtenay Corwin, and is survived by her children Linda, (Joan) Courtenay, Rachel, and Burr, as well as her grandchildren Wilder, Taja, Isabella, Oceana, Parker, Ry, and Luella. Her last words were “hot diggity!,” when she learned Burr was on his way to have lunch with her, the day before she passed. Her children gathered for her passing and spent the following week in private ceremony. She requested that there be no commemorative services, and her children suggest that those of you who knew her simply take a private moment and remember her in your own way.
One note from an employee said "I have become a much stronger and more caring person because of her." Her children feel exactly the same way. In lieu of flowers, please pay that sentiment forward. She would want her children to thank her friends, the House of Frames community, and Hospice of Southern Maine, and her children want to thank her for who she was in our lives and who she’ll always continue to be.
Private arrangements have been entrusted to Chad E. Poitras Cremation and Funeral Service, Buxton, www.mainefuneral.com