Stonington
Mary-Catherine D. Baasch passed away on March 9, 2019, at the age of 69. Mary-Catherine’s family and friends were with her at that moment and in the days and weeks preceding her death while she was in the hospital. While there she also received many letters and phone calls letting her know how much she was loved. Mary-Catherine is the daughter of James C. MacDonald and Dorothy Desmond MacDonald and was predeceased by each of them. She grew up in New Jersey and Maine, and considered the Deer Isle-Stonington community her home. Mary-Catherine wanted to live her life to the fullest. She loved spending time with her friends Cathy and Angel, and appreciated the community around her.
She always said, “I have the best neighbors,” and viewed those close to her as family. Mary-Catherine had a tender heart, loved animals and had many four-legged companions throughout the years. She was especially thrilled to adopt her first cat, Fiona, from The Ark Animal Shelter about seven years ago. Mary-Catherine studied social work and earned a BSW in 1992. Though she never formally practiced social work, she always said she tried to live out the principles of dignity, justice and compassion in everything she did. She enjoyed traveling and seeing new places. She was especially excited to reconnect with her family in Alabama, Florida and Oklahoma, and would make yearly trips to visit cousins in Alabama. These trips led her to dip her toes in the Gulf, enjoy New Orleans beignets and take in plenty of sunshine with family. Mary-Catherine didn’t sweat the small stuff and her values allowed her to embrace ordinary things as an adventure. She took everything that life threw at her in stride and always remained positive. Her family will remember her for her unique light and the way she gave love freely and unconditionally — these are the best lessons she shared with all of us. Her family, especially her daughter Kate Baasch and daughter-in-law Carrie Hritz, would like to thank everyone for all the ways they supported Mary-Catherine, whether through rides, visits, phone calls or simply sharing a smile. Hearing about the ways she will be remembered, with a smile on her face, has meant the world to us. We are especially grateful to the staff and volunteers at Friends in Action for their service and friendship to Mary-Catherine and all the ways they serve the community. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Friends in Action, P.O. Box 1446, Ellsworth, ME 04605, www.friendsinactionellsworth.org or donate to The Ark Animal Shelter, 60 Barber Lane, Cherryfield, ME 04622, http://thearkpets.org.
We invite you to join us on May 11, 2019, at 11 a.m. at Hillside Cemetery in Sunset for a graveside ceremony and burial. We will share reflections on Mary-Catherine’s life and meditate on the value of unconditional love that she embodied. We also invite you to join us immediately after the ceremony at the Sunset Congregational Parish House from noon-2 p.m. for a time of sharing memories, pictures and refreshments. Please bring stories or memories to share. All are welcome.
Hillside Cemetery is located 0.3 miles north of Sunset post office down Grayson Farm Lane. Sunset Congregational Parish House is located at 313 Sunset Road, Deer Isle, just past the Sunset post office on the left. Parking is available across the street from the Parish House and on Dunham Point Road.