The Honorable Mary Catherine (Verrill) Tousignant sailed peacefully from the shores of Saco Bay, Maine and Estero, Florida to the timeless horizon where her ancestors and friends await on August 26, 2026, surrounded by her family in Fort Myers, Florida, following a lengthy illness.

Born to Prescott Lockwood and Mary Catherine (McDonald) Verrill in 1942, Mary grew up in Saco and Old Orchard Beach among cousins, aunts, and uncles with deep roots in southern Maine. She loved her large family and cherished her role as the eldest of seven siblings. From her family she inherited a steadfast work ethic and a remarkable capacity for unconditional love. Favorite childhood memories include accompanying her grandfather, Basil L. Verrill, on his lobster boat in Biddeford Pool; the profound impact of legendary teachers E. Emerson Cummings and Jerome A. LePelletier; and dancing at the bandstand on the Pier in Old Orchard Beach.

Mary graduated from Old Orchard Beach High School in 1960. She attended college at Wellesley College and the University of Maine, graduating with a B.S. in Education in 1964. She married Roger A. Tousignant, known to close friends as Chic, at the age of twenty-two, after falling in love on their first date. She began her career teaching English at Thornton Academy in Saco, setting the foundation for a lifelong commitment to mentoring others – a legacy of guidance and service in which she took immense pride.

Mary found so much joy in Maine – spending summers on the beach and boating, and winters on the ski slopes. She and Roger settled on Ferry Beach in Saco to raise their family on the ocean, building a house for themselves and then one for her parents next door. While her children were young, she worked in various entrepreneurial roles: Starting a nursery school in her home, catering lobster bakes all over New England, serving as Executive Director of the Old Orchard Beach Chamber of Commerce, and leading a Girl Scout Brownie troop.

At the age of thirty-seven, she enrolled in law school at the University of Maine, earning her J.D. and passing the bar on her first attempt in 1982. She opened an office as a sole practitioner. In 1984 she pivoted to public-service law, first as an Assistant District Attorney in York County, then as the first female elected District Attorney of York County, where she became a fervid supporter of victim-witness advocacy programs. She then became an Associate Professor of Law at her alma mater, teaching courses in Constitutional Law and overseeing pro-bono representation at the Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic, advising students at the start of their careers. In 1992, she was appointed as the fourth IOLTA Visiting Professor of Practice. She later returned to private practice, focusing on family and civil law. She earned many accolades in her professional career, including the Women’s Law Association Lawyer of the Year, the Chair of the Maine Board of Overseers for the Bar, and conference panelist for the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. She spoke with great admiration and affection for the many lawyers, judges, support staff, and families she worked alongside as an attorney.

After retiring from her legal career, Mary moved with Roger to Spring Run in Estero, Florida. She readily made new friends and lived a rich and active life that included picnics at the beach, swimming, golf, bocce, bridge, Mah Jongg, volunteer work, and community service. Throughout her life Mary remained an avid and prolific reader, often finishing four or five books per week. She loved public libraries and was proud to serve as the Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Edith Belle Libby Memorial Library in Old Orchard Beach. A lifelong learner, some of her intellectual community work included participation and leadership in Great Decisions, The Panel Gals, Le Cercle Français, and the Southwest Florida Model UN. She brought a thoughtful, insightful voice of reason, and a keen and compassionate eye to the issues and events discussed in these settings.

She paid attention to those who needed help, often tutoring or raising money and collecting shoes, school supplies, and food donations for the staff at Spring Run and youth in Estero. She never complained during her years of illness, but rather persevered with grace and dignity, empathetic to the end, thinking often of the challenges that health-care workers face, grateful for the care they provided. She sent cards, notes, and baked treats to family, friends, and neighbors regularly.

An ardent feminist, and an optimist for justice, Mary believed in and defended civil rights for all. She always expressed and demonstrated a focus on others’ wellbeing, wanting people to feel safe and comfortable. She was a passionate advocate for victims of violence in her professional work. She openly and articulately discussed the human and emotional tolls of crimes, abuses, and tragedies when others were afraid or embarrassed to talk about such things. She energetically encouraged others to think critically about how best to treat people and be actively brave in the face of injustice. She never left the house without a pocket-sized copy of the U.S. Constitution in her handbag.

She loved to laugh, and she loved parties. Mary was a talented cook who loved to entertain, hosting hundreds of dinners, brunches, parties, holidays, and family celebrations. Curious and adventurous, she also loved to travel, especially in the Caribbean islands and western Europe. She loved vacationing in midcoastal Maine in August and December, at the Samoset Resort and in nearby Rockland and Camden.

Mary was known and will be remembered for her huge heart, her joie de vivre, her good judgment and quick wit, her generous spirit and indomitable courage, her compassionate care for others, her sharp mind, and her inclusive leadership. She brought energy and purpose wherever she went. Friends and family recall her as helpful and upbeat, fun to be around, the source of so many wonderful memories, a force of good who touched so many lives, a woman who loved widely and was beloved in return. She will be dearly missed.

Her survivors include her husband of sixty-two years, Roger Armand Tousignant; her children Lise Verrill Tousignant, Catherine Dubay Tousignant, Peter McDonald Tousignant, and their families, including two grandchildren Oliver Tousignant Schouest and Lydia Demers Schouest; four siblings David Charles Verrill, Prescott Lockwood Verrill, Jr., Peter John Verrill, Marguerite Elizabeth (Verrill) Swoboda, and their families; numerous nieces, nephews, and extended family. She is predeceased by her parents, her siblings Susan Jane (Verrill) Gowen and Stephen Basil Verrill, and her grandchild Whitby Prescott Tousignant.

While there will not be any funeral services, next spring Mary will be inniched at the Laurel Hill Cemetery in Saco, Maine. To remember Mary, take a walk on the beach, plant some flowers, or notice the beautiful birds wherever you are.

Condolences may be submitted at https://www.oobfh.com

In lieu of flowers, those who desire may donate to one of the following organizations, in memory of Mary C. Tousignant:

1. University of Maine School of Law, through the Annual Fund

300 Fore Street

Portland, ME 04101

https://securelb.imodules.com/s/184/16/interior.aspx?sid=184&gid=1&pgid=851&cid=1646

2. MAPS Scholarship Foundation

P.O. Box 676

Old Orchard Beach, Maine 04064

https://tinyurl.com/MAPSFoundation

3. Thornton Academy, through the Annual Fund

Attn: Development

438 Main Street

Saco, ME 04072

thorntonacademy.org/give

4. Spring Run Charitable Foundation Scholarship Fund

9501 Spring Run Boulevard

Estero, FL 34135