Sharon Paula (Woods) Parent

Sharon Paula (Woods) Parent, of Saco, passed away April 22, 2017.  She was born May 7, 1939, in Waterville, the daughter of Ralph and Laura (Bernier) Woods.  She attended local schools and graduated from Winslow High School in 1957 and Mercy School of Nursing of Portland in 1960.  Following graduation, she started her nursing career at the VA Hospital on South Huntington Avenue in Boston.  She moved back to Maine in 1962 and was a ward nurse at the Maine State Hospital in Augusta, and after the birth of her second child she continued her nursing service at the Augusta General Hospital.

Sharon was a dedicated and caring registered nurse for more than 30 years.  She completed her nursing career as the first elementary school nurse hired by the City of Augusta, where she established the initial elementary school nursing program with the assistance of the Maine Department of Health and Department of Education.

Her tasks were quite extensive.  Her many nursing duties included maintaining records for some 1,000 students' immunizations and medications; screening them for deficits in hearing, scoliosis and growth; providing health assessments and where necessary initiating referrals to parents, school personnel and community health resources; developing health plans to meet the individual needs of students; participating in making health visits when necessary; and serving as a resource to the classroom teachers in health instruction.

She was a devoted member of the Catholic Church, where for many years she shared her selfless service as a volunteer for numerous programs, including presenter with other couples and Catholic priests at Marriage Encounter weekends for more than five years.

She was a member of the former St Andrews Parish in Augusta, were she was a leader for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), a CCD instructor and Eucharistic minister; and she assisted in the preparation of engaged couples desiring to be married in the Catholic Church.

Sharon was an outstanding cook and hostess, which she would say was just part of being Mom, with all the kids and friends of kids and visitors who "big" families bring about.  She would stay up very late making all those lunches for the kids every night, well, because the kinds just preferred her lunch to "school" lunches, of course.  Sharon was always ready to feed a few more, and her kitchen was always a beehive of activity to which all looked forward to returning.  She was the hostess for her sons' senior year football team pizza parties, and as well for her daughter's senior year filed hockey team.  She also hosted family gatherings at the major holidays, including Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.  Who can forget how delicious her tourtiere meat pies, chocolate cream pies, peanut butter balls and Needham bars were, and her husband won't forget his favorite, her potato salads.  And Reg's sister Del and her husband Bob Rowe likely will not tire of telling the Screw Auger Falls and potato salad story.

Cherishing Sharon's memory forever are her loving husband Reginald Parent, of Saco; their sons: Mark and his wife Clare and grandsons Rone and Sam, of Savannah, Ga., and Max, of Hampton, Va., Craig and his wife Mary, of Santa Barbara, Ca,;  Michael and his wife Linda, of Sierra Vista, Az., Scott and his wife Wendy, of Houston, Texas, and their daughter Amy and her husband Lucien, and grandson Armand and granddaughter Laura, of Saco; as well as sisters Darlene Stubbs, of Putnam, Conn., and Debra Woods, of Cape Elizabeth; sisters-in-law Vi Seymour, of Augusta; Michaela Gallagher of Hallowell; and Dell and her husband Bob Rowe, of Winterport; brother-in-law Bill Gallagher and his wife Louise, of Brockton, Mass; and many nieces and nephews.

We spend special thanks to the staff of the Monarch Center of Saco for their dedicated and caring support to Sharon, her husband and family during her residency.

A funeral mass will be held at St. Margaret's Catholic Church, 6 Saco St, Old Orchard Beach, on July 7, at 10 a.m.  Parking is available in teh parking lot across the street from the church, as well as at the Old Orchard Beach Funeral Home parking lot at 36 Portland Avenue, a short walk from the church.

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