Obituary of Elaine Bissell

Elaine Frances (McCorison) Bissell -- 6/18/38 – 1/7/2025

How do you sum up a life of 86+ years into a set of a few paragraphs?  It seems impossible but what follows is an attempt to do just that.

Elaine was born prematurely and had lung issues right off the bat.  As a young girl living in Belfast, doctors told her family that the pollution in ‘the big city of Belfast’ was bad for her health, so she was sent out to the country to live in the cleaner air of her grandparent’s farm, where she learned a lot of life lessons at a young age.  As a teenager she had to quit school to take care of sick family members, helping them through their dying process and gaining valuable experience in helping people and realizing her caring spirit.  At some point during her early life, she contracted tuberculosis but never knew it until decades later.

Eventually moving back to Belfast, she found work at the poultry plant and met her husband-to-be, Harold Bissell.  After a brief courtship, they married in 1959 and moved to Hope to start a family and complete their GED’s, since work and family obligations had stalled both of their educations at around the 8^th grade.  In 1968 they adopted their son Michael, then shortly afterwards, moved to Illinois to be near Harold’s family.  They stayed there for 7 years before moving back to Maine and settling down in Searsport.  A few years after that, Harold found work at the paper mill in Brewer and they moved one last time to Stockton Springs where they lived out the remainder of their years.

Elaine was a wonderful homemaker; loving and supportive and driven to provide the best home possible for her family.  It was always a joy to her when Michael’s friends would come over; she was ‘mom’ to more than just him and that continued into the kid’s adulthood, even expanding on occasion when a new friend would come into the fold.  She was like a 2^nd mom to Rusty and Frank and later Tony, all of whom she thought the world of and loved like her own kids.  She worked occasionally when the need was there, but for the most part she was happy being a wife and a mom.  Somewhere during it all, she managed to attend school again and get her CNA Certificate, rounding out her skills as a caretaker with some real-life medical know-how.  Although never working in that field, that knowledge would serve her well for decades to come.

When Harold was forced to retire after a forklift accident at the mill, they began to discover their passion for traveling, making trips to Florida, Virginia, Texas, and their favorite trip, across Canada to Alaska.  This time of their lives was one of exploration, discoveries and everything retirement should be, and she never forgot how much she loved those times on the road, making those memories and spending time with her husband.  Along those many miles traveled, they enjoyed meeting new friends at all the various public suppers across the country as well as in their own backyard, always happy to share stories of their lives, their family and their shared love of whatever subject came up next.

In the midst of everything, circumstances brought her own mother to move in with them, and she cared for her mom, like she had earlier in life with others in her family, until her passing. Public suppers were a regular occurrence for them all during these years, and a way for them to stay connected to friends and the community as a whole.  Making sure that her mom was well cared for and knew she was loved was always a priority and a task that she accepted gratefully.

In her mid-60’s she began to have health issues resulting in a triple-bypass, then colon and lung cancers and eventually COPD, CHF (and everything that went along with them) and a frozen vocal cord that made communication more and more difficult as time went on.  Through it all, she maintained a positive outlook on life and her strength of faith saw her through those hardest of times, especially when Harold had a stroke in 2009 and needed 24-hour care which she was ready, willing and able to provide at home with her CNA training.  These years were not easy for her, but she saw it as her duty for the next 6 years until his passing in 2015.  For the remainder of her life, she wished she could have done more to ease his burden.  Those of us who witnessed everything she accomplished during that time are still amazed by her strength of will, caring spirit and ability to ‘get things done’ that needed doing.

Through it all, she knew the love of her family was there to hold her up in the toughest of times, especially from her son Michael, daughter-in-law Lindsey and beloved grandson Ryland, as well as her brother Leslie and his wife Robin, and special sister-in-law Dottie.  Anytime she felt overwhelmed, she only had to remember what Michael told her often, “don’t borrow trouble”.  Her treasure, though, was Ryland, and she would regale anyone who would listen about him.  No matter the troubles she might have been going through at the time, Ryland could lighten her load just by being with her.  He never ceased to amaze her, and she loved seeing the wonderful young man he grew up to become.  One regret she had was not being able to see him often enough. 

Elaine was an avid shopper, and could spend hours browsing in just one store.  Hannaford’s, Walmart, Goodwill or Salvation Army, it didn’t matter as long as she could get the absolute best deal possible.  Her stamina never failed to amaze her family during these trips, and it is one of the things that her family will remember most fondly about her.  To know Elaine was to love her, and we always will, very much. 

She is predeceased by her parents Harry McCorison and Georgia McCorison (Purinton), brother Sheldon Gilmore, brother-in-law Frank Bissell, brother-in-law Gordon Bissell and his wife Winnie, brother-in-law Ronald Wright, and her beloved husband Harold.  Elaine’s circle of friends may have been small compared to some, but she loved them dearly and suffered greatly when her two dearest cousins and best friends Ruth Gilmore and Arlene Smith passed away before her.  They were two of the brightest lights in her life after Harold passed, and she missed them every day when they were no longer there.

Elaine is survived by her brother Leslie McCorison and his wife Robin, her son Michael and daughter-in-law Lindsey and grandson Ryland (and grand-dog Sasquatch), sisters-in-law Dottie Wright and Linda Bissell, cousin Heather Dostie, many other cousins, nephews and nieces and dear friends Cheryl Pelletier, Polly Martin, Tanya Robinson, Pastor Deb Arnold and Jack and Sue Fraser.  So many people were touched by Elaine’s life and kindness, and they gave that love back to her in kind.  In particular, her time spent with Leslie and Robin, Dottie, Polly, Tanya, Rosemary LeBlanc (and Jenna), and Crystal Roberts was among her most treasured memories and the ones she wished she could have made more of.

On a personal note, I would like to take this moment to pass along something to everyone that mom would tell them if she were still here and could say for herself.  Never forget that there are those around you who miss you and would love your company.  When a loved one passes away, there is a hole left in the hearts and lives of those of us who were left behind.  Make sure you visit them; make a point of stopping by to see if they want some company or maybe just to get out to a trip to the store.  Regular phone calls or spending time with them can be the greatest gift you can give to anyone, and you just don’t know what kind of impact you are having on their life.  You never know what you may learn or the emotional gifts you may receive in the process.

Elaine didn’t want to leave this world; she made that known to us all every day.  She fought long and hard for her health and was her own best advocate for her well-being.  Her strength, stubbornness, loving heart and strong faith saw her through to the end, and we are all better off for having had her in our lives.

It has been said that everyone dies twice: once when they take their last breath and again when someone says their name for the last time.  Our hope is that her kindness and faithful spirit will allow her memory to live on in everyone’s hearts for generations to come, never to be truly lost to the ages as long as we remember who she was. And who she was, was amazing.