Evelyn A. Waterhouse Obituary (2011)

Evelyn Anita Johnson Waterhouse, 95, of Sanford, passed away on Thursday March 17, 2011 at the Newton Center in Sanford some three years after she had suffered a serious stroke. She was born in Sanford on October 22, 1915, a daughter of the late Arthur and Lydia Marie (Fortier) Johnson. Evelyn graduated from Sanford High School in 1933 where she had been an avid athlete with time spent in gym exhibitions, tumbling, basketball, field hockey and baseball. In her younger years she was also a skier. Her year book philosophy statement correctly forecast that "A light heart lives long." Evelyn participated in many good works for the local Sanford-Springvale community over the years, including at The Unitarian Church where she was its longest serving member and a founder of the Women's Alliance; the March of Dimes where she chaired the York County program in the 1950's; The Stephen Cobb Stadium which she helped create; the Sanford High School Boosters Club; The Goodall Hospital Auxiliary; the local AARP Club where she served as an officer; her Button Club; and many, many more. She spent time in the 1950s-60s working as a senior manager at North Star Woolen Mills in Sanford. She continued her interest in sports as a frequent spectator at Goodall Park where she spent many hours watching local baseball games, and other sports events. She also had personal sports success with trophy-winning golfing efforts at the local Sanford Country Club. Evelyn always had a busy life, and was still making news in later life as noted in "On the Sidelines" story on her advice to your field hockey players by John Nash in the York County Weekend Edition, Saturday August 20, 2005.Evelyn relocated her home from Sanford to her beloved Square Pond, Acton, in the mid-1980s. This was the place where her heart was happiest having spent time there from the age of two. She was always a ready source of information on local Square Pond issues, and was kindly thought of by many as "the old lady of the lake". Long before the stories of the Horse Whisperer and others who could speak to animals, Evelyn was known to have a special ability to communicate with her many pets, and local wildlife. Evelyn married J. William "Bill" Waterhouse in 1933. He predeceased her in 1989. Her husband worked at Goodall Sanford, and later at American Cyanamid where he was their first Sanford retiree. Bill was long involved in local baseball activities from the day when he served as the bat boy at the famous Sanford game in 1918, involving baseball legend Babe Ruth, to his service as the General Manager of the Goodall Sanford semi-pro baseball team in the 1940s-50s. Evelyn's interest in baseball matched his, and they attended many events at Goodall Park. Bill was recognized for his local baseball contributions by a plaque in the first base dugout at Goodall Park, naming it the "Waterhouse Dugout."Evelyn and Bill's immediate family included two sons, Wayne and Stephen. Wayne predeceased his mother in 1997. Stephen and his wife, Linda, live in London, England, and Hanover, NH. Evelyn's grandchildren include Wayne's two daughters, Kim, a teacher in Florida, and Marie, a physician in Los Angeles; plus Stephen's daughter, Melinda, a lawyer in New York City, and son, James, a businessman in Alexandria, VA. Evelyn is also survived by a great granddaughter, Reese, daughter of James and his wife Desmarie.Evelyn was also predeceased by her sister, Muriel Cunningham of Florida, and brother, Urban A. Johnson of Springvale. She is survived by her sister, Adrienne Johnson Gilman, who now resides in Kennebunk and many nieces, nephews and cousins.Evelyn's passing will be recognized by the Reverend Sue Gabrielson and others during the morning service of the Sanford Unitarian Church on Sunday, April 10 at 10:30 AM. Friends are cordially welcomed to attend. Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider donations to the Newton Center Activities Fund, 35 July Street, Sanford, Maine. Arrangements are under the direction of the Carll-Heald & Black Funeral Home, 580 Main Street, Springvale.Condolences may be expressed at www.blackfuneralhomes.com