Obituary of Annie Norton

BUCKSPORT - Annie (Peer) Norton, 73, wife of Stephen A. Norton, passed away from cancer Feb. 21, 2009, surrounded by her family, at her home. She was born Jan. 17, 1936, in Antwerp, Belgium, and immigrated to the U.S. with her family in 1939, becoming a naturalized citizen in 1945. Her father, Rene Peer, worked for many years for the Agency for International Development and the IMF; thus Annie was raised at various duty assignments around the world before her family finally settled in Blue Hill. Her mother, Paula, was a junior high school teacher in Laos, and had a lifelong avocation for painting; she formerly organized an art class in Blue Hill and her work hangs in a number of locations in Hancock County. Annie graduated from George Stevens Academy, Blue Hill, in 1954. She attended the University of Maine, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in biology in 1964 and a Master of Art degree in French literature in 1978. Her love of learning led to post-graduate study in Oslo, Norway, in 1983 and Madrid, Spain. She taught science and foreign languages for many years at Bucksport High School and Hampden Academy. She organized numerous trips to Canada, France and Spain for her students as part of their language immersion learning experience. She was a dedicated coach of boys and girls high school track and cross-country teams. In recent years, she served as a senior official for track meets around the state of Maine and volunteered with the Red Cross. She enjoyed music, running, hiking and her exercise class. She was one of the first senior women's marathoners in central Maine and worked tirelessly to promote the sport of running. She and her husband originated the Tour du Lac Ten-Mile Road Race in Bucksport. She was an avid traveler all her life, regularly visiting friends and family in Asia, Europe and around North America. Her last field trips in 2008 were to raft the Grand Canyon with her husband and to hike Mount Washington with three generations of immediate family. She was always a caring and compassionate person, endowed with a wonderful sense of humor, the emotional center of an extended family stretching across half a dozen states. She dearly loved her husband of 38 years, her mother, her three children, her grandchildren and two siblings. In all things and to the end of her life, she set an example of quiet, unassuming courage that was an inspiration to everyone who knew her. She is survived by her mother, Paula E. Peer of Blue Hill; her sister, Rita and brother-in-law, Phil Williams and their two children, of Ohio; and her brother, Bryan and sister-in-law, Mary and their two children, of Kentucky. She is also survived by her husband, Stephen A. Norton, a professor of earth sciences for 40 years at the University of Maine. She is survived by her brother-in-law, Buddy and former wife, Virginia and their eight children; her brother-in-law, Dave and his wife, Beverly and their three children; and sister-in-law, Gail and her husband, John and their six children. Anne's children and grandchildren include son and daughter-in-law, David and Kathy Thurlow of Eagle River, Alaska, and their son, Linc and granddaughter, Allison; her daughter, Lisa Hydrick and son, Robert, of Yorktown, Va.; and her son, Stephen and daughter-in-law, Jennifer Norton and their children, Anders and Greta, of Concord, N.H. Her father, Rene Peer; and brother, Kenneth Peer, predeceased her. The family appreciates greatly the outpouring of love and support from Anne and Steve's friends and family, especially the constant loving care from Gail. We greatly appreciate Sue Davis and Hancock County Homecare and Hospice, which enabled Anne to die at home and in peace. Friends are welcome to a memorial service to celebrate Anne's life and many accomplishments 10 a.m. March 21 at Parker Ridge Retirement Community, Blue Hill. Anne's wishes were that contributions may be made to a food pantry of your choice or alternatively to the University of Maine Foundation, Buchanan House, Orono, ME 04469 to one of the three scholarships that she helped establish. They are The Doris Berry Norton, The Henrietta C. Murphy and The Paula E. Peer scholarships, which support deserving students at the University of Maine.