PORTLAND – Our mother, Sarah L. (Gregoire) Jordan, 80, went on to her eternal home in Heaven on May 4, 2024, after a long illness. Born in Wells, Maine on February 4, 1944, to Albert W. Gregoire and Margaret M. Pinard, Sarah was raised by her beloved parents Margaret and Herbert Erskine.
Sarah graduated from Cathedral High School in 1962 and worked for a few years at Fairchild Semiconductor before meeting her future husband, Allan Jordan. They were married in Westbrook on November 17, 1967. After their marriage, she became a stay-at-home mom, raising three daughters in Portland before moving the family to Buxton in 1978.
Sarah enjoyed many things - reading Christian books and her bible, Christmas stories all year long, knitting, cake decorating, trips to the Jordan family camp in Naples, making hats and mittens for local children in need, and craft making. But absolutely nothing beat her love of picking blueberries. She would spend hours picking wild blueberries in her yard and when those were gone, she would drive around the back roads of Buxton looking for more. One summer, the Buxton PD called to say her car had been parked on the side of the road near a pole line for several hours and were we aware that she was missing! She wasn’t missing…. she was up to her knees in swamp water, happily picking blueberries.
Sarah was funny, kind, frustrating, loveable, and quirky. She never learned to cook for one when it was just her living in the house. Giant pots of spaghetti and meatballs, dozens of cookies, two pies instead of one were often brought over to a neighbor when she realized she couldn’t eat it all. She was obsessed with Goodwill shopping for things she didn’t need and bought Hannaford single stick popsicles 5 boxes at a time and sorted them into gallon zip lock bags by color. She hated doing dishes and held out on washing them until there was nothing left to eat with or one of her daughters did them for her. She promised her daughter Susan a handmade quilt and she got one – many years later, after much nagging from Allan and Susan had given out hope that it would ever happen. She was a character, and we wouldn’t have changed a thing.
Sarah was a member of the Hollis Center Church for many years, and loved women’s bible study, Awana, helping in the food pantry and the Friendship Group. She made many wonderful friends in her time at the church and missed it when she was no longer able to attend.
Sarah was predeceased by her husband of 44 years, Allan, her parents, and siblings Carl Gregoire Sr., Ellen Byrnes, Mary Ann Foster, and Paul Erskine. She is survived by her children, Mary Ellen Greene, Cheryl (Mike) Harmon and Susan Jordan and partner Rich Wood, her beloved grandchildren Adam (Ziama) Harmon, and Lily Harmon and her partner Nicole Norman, her brother Jonathan Erskine and sister Marlene McDonald as well as several sisters and brothers-in-law, and many nieces and nephews.
Sarah wanted to thank her amazing neighbors LuAnn and Lindsey McLauglin, the Scott brothers, and Maria and Tom Daniels and children for their friendship and support over the years. From yardwork, rides to the store, prayers when she was ill, changing lightbulbs or water filters, to helping her break into the house when she locked herself out, they were there for her no matter what she needed. She loved you all.
The family wishes to thank the staff at the Seaside nursing home in Portland for their care of Sarah, most especially Nancy who took on Sarah’s day to day care with great kindness and compassion. Many thanks also to the staff at Beacon Hospice who spent the past six months making sure our mother was comfortable and well cared for.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday May 18th at 2 PM at the Hollis Center Church, 388 Hollis Road (Rt.202) Hollis
Arrangements are under the care of Chad Poitras Cremation and Funeral Service, 498 Long Plains Rd, Buxton.