A review of this week’s obituaries from the Biddeford-Saco area
JOHN ‘JACK’ TYLER KIDDER
March 6, 1944 – Oct. 3, 2026
DENNETT, CRAIG & PATE | John “Jack” Tyler Kidder III of Saco, Maine, passed away peacefully on October 3, 2026 at Maine Medical Center after a brief illness.
He was surrounded by his loving family, and a beautiful sunset blessed the moment.
Jack was born March 6, 1944, in Rumford, Maine, to Dorothy and John Kidder Jr. He was raised in Rangeley and attended high school at Fryeburg Academy, where he jumped for the Fryeburg Academy ski team even though he was, ironically, afraid of heights. He attended Husson College, where he earned a degree in Business Administration in1966.
Jack built a very successful career as an independent insurance adjuster. He began at GAB in 1967, but when they asked him to move to New Jersey, he declined because he wanted to raise his family in Maine. So, in 1974, in the basement of their home on Colonial Acres in Westbrook, he founded Colonial Adjustment, Inc.
He was highly regarded and influential in the field for four decades. He was best known for building trustworthy and lasting relationships and served as president of the National Association of Independent Insurance Adjusters from 2009 to 2010. He retired in 2014, when his son Scott assumed the role of president.
Jack lived an incredibly full and meaningful life. He was an avid hunter and angler and greatly enjoyed spending time in his home region of Rangeley, where his father and grandfather were registered Maine Guides, a family tradition his son Steven proudly continues today.
He also enjoyed skiing, especially on his home mountain, Saddleback, where he was locally known as one of the first four people to ski the mountain before it opened in the late 1950s. Jack kept that connection to the woods, the water, and the slopes alive throughout his life, introducing his children, grandchildren, and many friends to the activities he loved in the area he so deeply treasured.
Jack met the love of his life, Barbara, in 1994, and they soon became virtually inseparable. They married on March 1, 1997, and enjoyed a beautiful and loving life together. Early on, they enjoyed yearly visits to Aruba and spent weekends at their beloved camp in Rangeley.
In more recent years, Papa Jack and Granny were truly happiest in their cozy home in Saco, with their beloved dogs, Annie and Teddy and more often than not, with a Red Sox, Bruins or Patriots game playing on the television.
Jack’s family and friends were always his priority, and they all loved him dearly. Those who knew him well will always remember his charisma, storytelling, sense of humor, warm smile, and devotion to his family. He was kind, generous, and loyal. He was a man of his word and as honest as the day was long. If Jack Kidder shook your hand, you had a friend for life whom you could forever count on. To say that he will be deeply missed is a massive understatement.
He is survived by his devoted wife, Barbara, his children, Steven Kidder (Joyce Gauthier), Scott Kidder (Erica), and Amy Gray (Will); his grandchildren, Corey, Carly, Jack, Sam, Cora and Megan. He was predeceased by his parents John Kidder Jr. and Dorothy Kidder.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 1 to 4 p.m., at DiMillo’s Floating Restaurant 25 Long Wharf, Portland, Maine — forever one of Jack’s favorite spots. Burial will be a private family graveside service in Rangeley.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Fryeburg Academy, in Jack T Kidder III’s name. 745 Main St, Fryeburg, ME 04037 | FULL OBITUARY
SANDRA M. ST. OURS
March 26, 1951 – Oct. 5, 2026
HOPE MEMORIAL CHAPEL | Sandra M. St. Ours, 75, died peacefully in her home Monday, October 5, 2026. Beloved mother, wife, grandmother, aunt, sister, and blessed friend to countless others, she passed knowing how loved and cherished she was by all.
Sandy, prior to retirement in 2013, was a schoolteacher for grades K–8 over the course of 41 years. Earning her master’s degree from the University of Maine at Farmington with a focus in Special Education, she dedicated her career to the growth and education of hundreds of southern Maine’s children.
Sandy extended that same thoughtfulness, care and dedication in her role as the matriarch of her family. She lovingly guided, advised, supported, and cherished each member of her family deeply.
Her life’s work was ensuring stability for all those she took under her wing. Sandy invested a majority of her time helping to raise her two grandchildren, Colby and Sirena, now 20 and 31. She strongly encouraged their creativity, independence and — of course — education.
In Sandy’s early years, she won the hearts of many as homecoming queen, president of student council, majorette among other well-deserved titles.
Some of her favorite hobbies included reading, gardening, keeping her husband, Jerry, busy with household tasks and maintaining her connection to nature. She enjoyed feeding her birds, although squirrels and chipmunks became regulars at her feeders (much to her chagrin).
Sandra’s legacy of strength, resilience, devotion to family and service to her community will continue to live on in all those whose lives she touched.
Sandra is survived by her husband, Gerard “Jerry” St. Ours, and their son, Scott St. Ours, and her two grandchildren, Colby and Sirena St. Ours. She is also survived by sister, Theresa Lauzier, and half-siblings Russell and Joey Marquis, Kathy Cowan, and Shirley Winship.
She is predeceased by brother, Richard “Dicky” Marquis.
Visitation will be held on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026 from 9 to 11 a.m. at Hope Memorial Chapel, 480 Elm Street, Biddeford. A Funeral Outside of Mass will follow at Hope Memorial Chapel. | FULL OBITUARY
EDITE KROLL
Jan. 9, 1939 – Sept. 23, 2026
HOPE MEMORIAL CHAPEL | Edite Kroll, 87, died peacefully at home on September 23, 2026, with her husband, Keith Walker, lovingly at her side.
Edite had been struggling with mesothelioma for several months.
Born in Blasheim, Germany, in 1939, Edite was the daughter of Luise and Fritz Niedringhaus. She grew up in the shadow of World War II, and learning about the Holocaust in high school changed her life. She became a lifelong pacifist and a strong advocate for women’s rights and human rights. She was a courageous person who stood up for what she believed was right, without hesitation or regret.
After high school, she left Germany because, like many women, she did not receive support to attend college. She went first to Paris and then to London, where she began her life in book publishing.
She worked for major publishers in London and New York, where she moved in 1965. She specialized in children’s books and especially loved working with artists who wrote. As assistant executive editor of Harper Junior Books, she later negotiated contracts for more than a hundred children’s titles for a retail publishing venture. The experience convinced her that she wanted to work directly with authors and use her gifts as an editor and expertise in contracts to be a literary agent.
In 1981, she founded the Edite Kroll Literary Agency in New York. It was her passion for the rest of her life. She loved working with authors and artists and helping transform their ideas into wonderful books.
She helped bring hundreds of children’s books, works of fiction, and works on women’s studies into being. Drawing on her expertise in foreign publishing, she helped her authors’ work reach readers in dozens of countries around the world.
Edite met Keith in North Carolina in 1980. After several years in New York City, they moved to Maine, where Edite had lived previously. She successfully transplanted her agency and continued to travel frequently to New York, Frankfurt and Bologna.
No one loved books and reading more than Edite. Even after spending hours reading and editing manuscripts, she could happily curl up with a mystery to unwind.
But mostly and always, Edite loved people. She had a huge heart and was an incredibly generous friend. She was loyal and dependable and could not be outworked. She loved good food, good white wine, conversation, and the occasional intense exchange of opinions. Her exuberant presence—her voice, her smile, her laughter, and her spirit—lit up every room.
Exceptionally smart and well-informed, Edite began each morning with coffee and the [New York] Times. She had strong moral and ethical standards and held herself — and those she loved and respected — to those same high standards. She loved working in her garden and watching her perennials grow and blossom.
After moving from Portland to Saco in 2004, Edite became involved with the Unitarian Universalist Church of Saco and Biddeford, serving on the board and chairing the membership committee, where she warmly welcomed visitors and newcomers.
Edite continued to visit her family in Germany every year.
The gift of the last months was that Edite came to realize not only how much she loved others, but how much others truly loved her.
A memorial celebration of Edite’s life will be held on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 11 a.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 60 School Street, Saco. | FULL OBITUARY
BEVERLY ANN PETIT
Oct. 30, 1939 – Oct. 4, 2026
HOPE MEMORIAL CHAPEL | Beverly Ann Petit, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and dear friend to countless souls, passed away peacefully on October 4, 2026, in her hometown of Biddeford, Maine, just weeks shy of her 87th birthday.
Born on October 30, 1939, Beverly grew up in Biddeford, where she discovered a lifelong love of theater, music, and marching band. It was also there, in the hallways of middle school, that she first met the love of her life, Russ.
They married when Beverly was just 19 and embarked on their first great adventure together in Chicago before eventually returning to put down roots in small-town America, where they built a beautiful life over 60 devoted years of marriage, including running a small business side by side.
Beverly was a woman who filled every room with warmth. She was a wonderful host, a gifted storyteller, and a natural gatherer of people. Summers spent with her beloved cousins Joan and Lois were legendary for their shenanigans and laughter. She volunteered alongside retired nuns, worked as an administrative assistant in academia, and somehow found time to write a children’s book for her grandchildren, Jamie and Carissa, who knew her as their amazing Nana.
She is survived by her daughters Kim and Nancy, “adopted” daughter Erinn, grandchildren Jamie and Carissa, great-grandchildren Elliott, Silas, Celestine, and Max, sister-in-law Flo, and a wide and loving circle of cousins, nieces, nephews, neighbors, and friends.
Beverly was always, always there. And she always will be. | FULL OBITUARY
CLAIRE L. METAYER
Nov. 4, 1939 — Oct. 4, 2026
HOPE MEMORIAL CHAPEL | Claire L. Metayer passed away on October 4, 2026.
She was born on November 4, 1939, to Laureat and Lucille (Gouin) Metayer.
Claire attended Biddeford schools and graduated from St. Joseph High School. She worked her entire career as a bookkeeper for JJ Nissen, which allowed her to be a mainstay for her family.
She enjoyed reading. A proud member of Good Shepherd Parish, she volunteered for many church functions.
Claire was very close to her cousins and treated them as her own. She enjoyed traveling with her sister, Marcelle, including trips to North Carolina and pilgrimages to various Holy sites. She remained close with the sisters in Quebec.
She was predeceased by her parents and her sister, Marcelle.
She is survived by numerous cousins.
A Funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026 at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph Church in Biddeford. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery. | FULL OBITUARY
CONSTANCE E. WINDER
May 5, 1943 – Oct. 3, 2026
COTE FUNERAL HOME | Constance E. Winder, 83, of Saco, passed away surrounded by her loving family on October 3, 2026, at the Inn at Atlantic Heights in Saco, Maine.
Connie was born in Biddeford, Maine on May 5, 1943, the daughter of Philip and Rita (Cote) Tirrell. She grew up in West Hartford, Conn., and graduated from West Hartford High School, class of 1961.
Shortly after graduation, her family relocated to Old Orchard Beach. Connie met her beloved husband, James Winder, at a dance in Biddeford. It was love at first sight, and the couple married on May 18, 1963, at St. Margaret’s Church in Old Orchard Beach. Together, they built a family rooted in love, devotion, and faith. Initially they called West Hartford, Conn., home, but soon moved to Old Orchard Beach once James received his discharge from the United States Air Force.
Connie worked in insurance for several years, later transitioning to healthcare. Her favorite position was that of Medical Secretary for Dr. Chamberlain, where she made many lasting friendships with her co-workers, as well as with many of the patients.
Connie was an incredible baker, and her Whoopie Pies were highly sought after by all of her family. Connie and James were fortunate to be able to travel extensively, and over the years visited every one of the contiguous United States. They also took a road trip to Missouri twice per year to visit family, always making an additional loop down to Oklahoma to visit one of their grandsons.
Dear to the hearts of both Connie and James was their dog Cody, and any travel was always done with Cody in the backseat. She also enjoyed time spent at the family cabin in Starks, Maine, where she relaxed in the quiet peace of nature while taking long walks with Cody down their dirt driveway.
Of all things that Connie valued and considered precious, there was nothing she cherished more than her family and the time they spent together. She will be dearly missed.
Connie is predeceased by her husband, James Winder, of 62 years.
She is survived by her three children, Scott Winder and partner Jessica Libby, Stacey Skinsacos and husband Plato, and Stephen Winder and wife Lori; by her grandchildren, Caitlin Winder, Jeffrey Sevigny, Scott Sevigny, Kristen Hussey, Dimitri Skinsacos, Brianna Winder, and Connor Winder; by her great-grandchildren, Wyatt, Emmett, Benny, Garrett, Brett, Ellie, Bernice, Benjamin, Emberly, Jameson, Scarlett, and Roman; by an additional, soon-to-be-born great-granddaughter, Laurel Constance; by her brother, Steven Tirrell and wife Mary; as well as by many nieces and nephews. | FULL OBITUARY
PATRICIA A. LIEPA
Oct. 24, 1948 – Oct. 4, 2026
COTE FUNERAL HOME | Patricia A. Liepa, 77, of Saco, passed away unexpectedly on October 4, 2026, leaving behind a family who loved her deeply and will miss her more than words can express.
She was born on October 24, 1948, in Chelsea, Mass., a daughter of Patricia and Collin Cash. She graduated from Winthrop High School, class of 1967.
Patricia was employed by Air Canada for more than 20 years.
She was a kind, patient, loving and deeply faithful woman. Her relationship with God was an important part of who she was and she often reminded the people she loved to pray about everything and trust in God.
She was a devoted mother, grandmother, sister and friend.
To her grandchildren, she was so much more than a grandmother; she was a source of comfort and someone whose patience and uncontrollable love could always be counted on. She had a gentle way of caring for the people around her and made those she loved feel accepted and protected.
Her sudden passing has left an emptiness that cannot be filled. Her family will miss her presence in the home, her voice, her wisdom, her prayers, and the simple moments that once felt ordinary but will now be treasured forever.
Although her family cannot understand why she was taken so suddenly, they find comfort in the faith she lived by and the hope that she now at peace with God.
Her memory will live on through her daughter, grandchildren, brothers and everyone blessed to have known her. She will never stop being loved and she will never be forgotten.
“Well done, good and faithful servant.” Mathew 25:23Until we meet again, Grandma. You were deeply loved and you always will be.
She is survived by her beloved daughter Lauren St. Clair and husband John, three grandchildren, who were among the greatest joys of her life, Alexandra, Samuel and Nathalie St. Clair and five brothers, with whom she shared a lifetime of memories and family history, James, Collin, Jack, Gene and Alan Cash. | FULL OBITUARY
WILLIAM ‘BILL’ STEVEN SOUTHWORTH, Sr.
Dec, 19, 1962 – Oct. 4, 2026
COTE FUNERAL HOME | Bill passed away on October 4, 2026, surrounded by the love of his family. He was 63 years old.
Bill was born on December 19, 1962, in Gloucester Mass. He moved to Limington, Maine, and eventually made his home in Saco, where he built a life centered around family, hard work, service and the people he loved.
Bill was a devoted husband to his wife, Ellen, with whom he shared 36 years of marriage. Together, they built a life filled with memories, laughter, family, and countless summers camping at Lakeside Pines in Bridgton, where they enjoyed being seasonals for many years. Those summers became some of the most cherished memories of his life.
Bill was a proud father and beloved grandfather to his many grandchildren, who brought him immense joy. Spending time with his children and grandchildren was one of the greatest pleasures in his life, and he treasured every opportunity to be together.
A hardworking and determined man, Bill spent many years as a construction manager with Phoenix Property Services, a career he loved and took great pride in. He was the kind of man who believed in working hard, getting the job done and helping whenever someone needed him. His stubbornness was matched only by his willingness to show up for the people he cared about.
Bill also had a strong heart for service. He proudly served in the United States Air Force from 1981 to 1985 with the 2851st Air Base Group. Later, he continued serving his community as a volunteer EMT with the Gorham Fire Department for many years; a role he loved deeply.
Outside of work and service, Bill found happiness in the simple things. He loved fishing, camping, sitting around a fire and spending time with the people he loved most. He especially loved making people laugh and was never one to pass up an opportunity to tell one of his beloved dad jokes—whether the timing was appropriate or not.
His family will undoubtedly continue to hear those jokes in their heads and smile every time they think of him. Many will remember him sitting by the fire with a Crown in his hand, enjoying the moment and the company around him.
Bill was the person you could call when you needed help. He was hardworking, loyal, strong-willed, and always willing to lend a hand. He leaves behind not only the memories of the life he lived, but the countless lives he touched through his family, friendships, work, and service to others.
Bill is survived by his beloved wife, Ellen Southworth; his children, William Southworth Jr.; Aaron Southworth and his wife Nichole; Michelle Bartlett and her husband David; and Amanda Breton and her husband Kurt; his grandchildren, Donnie Southworth, Zackery Southworth, Hunter Southworth and Skylar Breton; his siblings, Peter and Kim Southworth, Sandra and Norman Lawnsby, Robin and Roger Gagnon, Linda and Larry Gammon, Jim and Emily Southworth, and Harry Southworth; as well as many nieces, nephews, extended family members, and friends who loved him dearly.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Adelbert and Loraine Southworth, and his brother, Lenny Southworth.
Bill leaves behind a lifetime of memories and a family who loved him deeply. He was a husband, a father, a grandfather, a brother, a friend, a veteran and a man who spent his life showing up for the people he loved. | FULL OBITUARY
BONNIE ROBERGE
Feb. 14, 1972 – Oct. 1, 2026
HOPE MEMORIAL CHAPEL | Bonnie Roberge, 54, of Old Orchard Beach passed away on October 1, 2026. Bonnie was born on February 14, 1972.
Bonnie is survived by her son, Rylee Roberge; her daughter Madison Beaupre; her sister Betty Roberge Haskell; and her nephews Jordan Roberge and Hunter Haskell.
Visitation will be held on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Hope Memorial Chapel, 480 Elm Street, Biddeford. | FULL OBITUARY
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