Herbert Walter Cushing - age: 90
(January 04, 1928 to July 07, 2018
)
Resident of
Ocean Park, Maine
Visitation Information:
Services will be scheduled
Obituary:
Priscilla-Ann Fennell Cushing
12/15/29 – 07/15/17
Herbert Walter Cushing
01/4/28 – 07/07/18
Priscilla and Herb began their life together in the summer of 1946 where they met on the beach in Ocean Park, Maine. Priscilla was vacationing for the summer with her Mother and Grandmother which they had been doing since Priscilla was a child and Herb was teaching swimming at the Royal Ambassador Boy’s Camp. In September, Herb joined the Marine Corps where he was a parachute packer and Priscilla attended Lesley College majoring in early childhood education. Priscilla went on to begin her teaching career in the Biddeford school district and Herb attended Tufts University, graduating in the spring of 1951 from Portland Junior College. They eloped New Year’s Eve, 1949 with Herb’s best friend Merle Hallett by his side.
They settled into life in South Portland, Maine. Herb worked for Cole-Layer-Trumble while Priscilla had their family of 3 children, Pam, Karen and Gary. Herb continued his love of sailing, building the Ga-Ka-Pa in the family garage. Herb eventually went to work for the City of South Portland as the Assessor before taking a job in Philadelphia with Sears in 1962.
The move to Philadelphia was a huge change for the family. Being so far from the ocean was difficult for all of them. They joined a pool club for the first two summers, rented a cabin in the Poconos the summer of 1964 and finally decided to build a swimming pool. Herb built a small sail boat in the garage and then started on building a dining room set for Priscilla from plans he found for 15th century Mediterranean chairs. Meanwhile, Priscilla went back to teaching, signing up to substitute for the Centennial School District. She took a temporary position working with children with language disabilities that turned into a full-time position working with learning disabled children.
In 1969, the family started their journey back to Maine, Herb taking a job in North Andover, Massachusetts and then moving to Nashua, New Hampshire, while Priscilla took a teaching position in Maynard, Massachusetts before they finally moved to Ocean Park in 1974. Herb worked for the State of Maine where he was Chief of Training and Certification, taught
an associate degree program in property appraisal at CMVTI before starting his own appraisal business with Gene Elcik in 1984. Herb retired in 1995. Priscilla continued to work with children with disabilities taking a job with Sweetser Children’s Home in 1974 where she worked until her retirement in 1991.
Priscilla kept busy knitting, hooking rugs and doing cross stitch. She spent most of her winter evenings knitting hats and mittens which she donated to the Salvation Army. Herb continued his lifelong love of building and flying model airplanes joining the Bush Pilots, a radio-controlled model airplane club. He also joined the Old Orchard Beach Masons Lodge 215 where he served as the lodge cook for over 10 years and is a Past Master of the Lodge.
They were able to stay together in their beloved Ocean Park home until Herb had a stroke in December of 2016 and could no longer walk. He lived his remaining days at the Newton Center in Sanford, Maine, just 10 minutes from Gary’s home. Gary was able to visit frequently and made sure Herb had a prescription for manhattans-and anybody who knew Herb new he loved a good manhattan. Priscilla moved into an assisted living home near Newton Center until her death in July, 2017. Both Herb and Priscilla joined the Lord peacefully while under Hospice Care.
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