Obituary for Mary Lu Hazelton Philbrook
Mary Lu Hazelton Philbrook, 80, passed away peacefully in her sleep at The Residence at Tall Pines in Belfast on January 2, 2023.
She was born in Charlton, Massachusetts on June 10, 1942, the daughter of Mary Louise and Lester Hazelton. The family, including her younger brother Dean, moved to Guilford, Maine where she grew up loving the outdoors and learning how to canoe, camp, hike and ski. She was the first-ever girl to race on her high school ski team. She later attended the University of Maine in Orono, where she met Scott Philbrook. They married in 1962 and had two children, Glenn and Erik. The family lived for a time in Washington state, where Scott was stationed as an Army officer at Fort Lewis, and later in Bremerhaven, Germany.
After divorcing in 1967, Mary Lu settled in the Bangor community, where she resumed her studies at the University of Maine and received a degree in Home Economics. After graduating, she worked at Headstart and then at the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, where she licensed foster care families for more than 25 years. As a single mom, she was most proud of raising her two sons and watching them start their own families and succeed in their chosen careers.
For more than 40 years, Mary Lu was a “friend of Bill W” and active in the Bangor recovery community. She generously provided wisdom, guidance and support to countless others seeking help and a path to sobriety. She loved the ocean, lobster dinners, traveling (often with her parents) to Scotland, Germany, Switzerland, England and Ireland. She loved dancing, mostly to 1950’s rock ‘n’ roll and country but especially to Cajun and zydeco music. She enjoyed cooking, gardening, her cats (Spirit, Annie and Banjo), going to the movies, genealogy, the Maine woods, gemstones, a good joke and all things Celtic.
With sparkling blue eyes, a radiant smile and beautiful red hair that later turned luminously silver, Mary Lu was full of vim and vigor. She was a devoted daughter, sister and mother. She was always eager to provide tough love with a warm hug. Like a true Mainer, she was also strong-willed, independent, pragmatic and opinionated. She laughed easily and often. Like her famous spaghetti sauce, she made life for those who loved her extra spicy.
She is survived by her former husband Scott Philbrook, her brother Lester Dean Hazelton; her two children Glenn (and Tamra) Philbrook and Erik Philbrook; her three grandchildren, Travis Philbrook, Tuesday Courand and Alex Philbrook; and her two great-children Sunny and Sullivan Courand.
There will be no service.
Hall’s of Waldoboro has care of the arrangements. To extend online condolences visit her Book of Memories at www.hallfuneralhomes.com
She was born in Charlton, Massachusetts on June 10, 1942, the daughter of Mary Louise and Lester Hazelton. The family, including her younger brother Dean, moved to Guilford, Maine where she grew up loving the outdoors and learning how to canoe, camp, hike and ski. She was the first-ever girl to race on her high school ski team. She later attended the University of Maine in Orono, where she met Scott Philbrook. They married in 1962 and had two children, Glenn and Erik. The family lived for a time in Washington state, where Scott was stationed as an Army officer at Fort Lewis, and later in Bremerhaven, Germany.
After divorcing in 1967, Mary Lu settled in the Bangor community, where she resumed her studies at the University of Maine and received a degree in Home Economics. After graduating, she worked at Headstart and then at the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, where she licensed foster care families for more than 25 years. As a single mom, she was most proud of raising her two sons and watching them start their own families and succeed in their chosen careers.
For more than 40 years, Mary Lu was a “friend of Bill W” and active in the Bangor recovery community. She generously provided wisdom, guidance and support to countless others seeking help and a path to sobriety. She loved the ocean, lobster dinners, traveling (often with her parents) to Scotland, Germany, Switzerland, England and Ireland. She loved dancing, mostly to 1950’s rock ‘n’ roll and country but especially to Cajun and zydeco music. She enjoyed cooking, gardening, her cats (Spirit, Annie and Banjo), going to the movies, genealogy, the Maine woods, gemstones, a good joke and all things Celtic.
With sparkling blue eyes, a radiant smile and beautiful red hair that later turned luminously silver, Mary Lu was full of vim and vigor. She was a devoted daughter, sister and mother. She was always eager to provide tough love with a warm hug. Like a true Mainer, she was also strong-willed, independent, pragmatic and opinionated. She laughed easily and often. Like her famous spaghetti sauce, she made life for those who loved her extra spicy.
She is survived by her former husband Scott Philbrook, her brother Lester Dean Hazelton; her two children Glenn (and Tamra) Philbrook and Erik Philbrook; her three grandchildren, Travis Philbrook, Tuesday Courand and Alex Philbrook; and her two great-children Sunny and Sullivan Courand.
There will be no service.
Hall’s of Waldoboro has care of the arrangements. To extend online condolences visit her Book of Memories at www.hallfuneralhomes.com