Obituary of Gwendolyn Eleanor Fish Stratton

Gwendolyn Eleanor Fish Stratton, 95, died at home in Belfast Me. on August 14, 2010. She was born on March 28, 1915 in New Portland, Me. the middle child of three to Roy Cecil and Cassie (Strickland) Fish. She spent most of her life in Belfast except when away at school, traveling or in her winter home in Port Charlotte, Fla.where she and her husband Boyd spent six months every year from 1976 until his death in 1997. In 1938 she married Boyd Bennett Stratton her husband of 59 years . In 1935 she graduated from Farmington State Teachers College where she also received her Bachelor’s degree in 1956. She then continued with her schooling receiving her Master of Education degree in 1959 from the University of Maine in Orono. She continued taking classes until well in her eighties. In 1960 she was elected to membership in the Phi Kappa Phi , Orono chapter where she remained a member celebrating 50 years just before her passing. Her teaching experience varied not only in grade level but also in subject matter. Her first teaching assignment right after graduation was in elementary schools in Swanville, Waldo, and Head-of-the-Tide in Belfast. Then it was Music & History at the Governor Anderson School in Belfast, and lastly to the William G. Crosby High School in 1946 until it's closing in 1965 when she moved the new Belfast Area High School where she remained until her retirement in 1973. Her grandmother, mother, sister & brother were also teachers and they all shared her love of teaching. She derived great pleasure from her active professional involvement in activities at state, local and national levels. She was President and member of the negotiating team in the Local Teacher's Assoc., Secretary to the County Teacher's Assoc., President of the State Delta Kappa Gamma Society and many committees of the Maine Teacher's Association such as; the Legislative Committee, E.P.S. Committee, Executive Committee, the Maine Advisory on Teacher's Education & Certification, the Chancellor's Task Force on Teacher's education, the Appeals Committee on Certification in the State Dept. of education, the Title III ESEA Advisory Council Building Committee for the new MTA Headquarters, a delegate to several N.E.A. Conventions and First Chairman of UNISERV Council #5 NEA Member of the N.C.A.T.E. Gwen was also very active with her late husband Boyd in the Fredrick Ritchie Grange and the Primrose Chapter #152 Order of the Eastern Star in Belfast. They traveled extensively with Phil & Leona Hawkins and Marita & Ira Packard. After her husband's passing Gwen continued her travels with her beloved friend Elva Webber. Gwendolyn is survived by her only son Charles D Stratton & his wife Olivia of Fall River, Ma.; grandchildren Charles Jr. of Winthrop Me. & Annette Heady of Buchanan, Tennesee; great-grandchildren Andrew & Kelly Stratton and Wyatt & Roger Heady Jr.and her devoted friend Ann Hooper. Gwen was the sister to the late R. Donald Fish & the late Laurie Fish Polk. Friends are invited to call from 5-7 pm on Tuesday August 17, 2010 at Crabiel-Riposta Funeral Home 182 Waldo Ave. Belfast, Me. With graveside services to follow at 2pm on Wednesday August 18, 2010 at Grove Cemetery Main Street Belfast.