STEUBEN
Maiah Alyssa Reilich-Godino was born at the No. 7 Road in Steuben on June 10, 2001, on a beautiful summer morning. She left us on March 3, 2020, at the height of her life, filled with joy, in a tragic, freak accident in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park near Maryville College in Tennessee, where she was attending her first year of school. She did not suffer and was blessed with the last moments of her life being the happiest.
Maiah lived an action-packed life full of adventure and amazing journeys. She was a member of the Mix-n-Match and Free to Be 4-H Clubs, a 4-H State Public Speaking Champion, our number one baby goat whisperer, a Bucksport High School cheerleader, a most outrageous, gifted and hysterical actress in her younger years, and was capable of lighting up a room with a mischievous sparkle in her eye and her infectious passion for the next adventure. She deeply cared about those in her life, those in need, and was a wonderful listener and dedicated friend. The most important thing in Maiah’s life was her deep and beautiful connection with her sisters, Ella Meera and Margaret Mae, who both fondly remember her as the “best sister ever.” She graced us with her wonderful sense of humor, her deep caring for her family and friends and her baking creations, including the best lemon squares ever. Captivating and filled with an unbridled and contagious spirit, she left an impression on everyone she met because she was so unique, so free, so brave and so fearless. She is and always will be our woodland sprite, our sweet Puck, and she is truly missed.
Maiah is survived by her father, Jordan Anthony Godino, and stepmother Erica Godino of Brewer; her mother, Lisa Ann Reilich of Steuben; her sisters Ella Meera Reilich-Godino and Margaret Mae Reilich Godino of Steuben; and her adoptive father Demetrius Wyatt Thomas of Atlanta, Ga. She is also survived by her paternal grandparents Judith and Anthony Godino of Bedford, N.Y.; maternal grandparents William M. and Shirley Reilich of Louisville, Tenn.; maternal grandparents Keith Howe and Helen Coulson of Richmond, Va.; maternal great-grandfather William Reilich of Rochester, N.Y.; adoptive grandmother Cynthia Underwood Thayer of Gouldsboro; godmother Jessie Costello of Belfast; and many loving aunts, uncles and cousins across the country. She also leaves behind many dear Maine friends including Andrew Heyman and Will Smith and their daughter Celestia; Bella Smith; Helena Balance Bader, Hattie Fitzpatrick and Jasmine Thomas.
There will be a memorial service for Maiah’s fellow college students, friends and family in the South and beyond on Friday, March 6, at noon at the Maryville College Chapel in Maryville, Tenn. All are welcome.
For friends in Maine, we will have a potluck “celebration of life” at our family farm, Painted Pepper Farm in Steuben, on Saturday, May 2, starting at 1 p.m. All are welcome. For remembrances of Maiah, please visit www.SmithFuneralandCremation.com.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Maiah’s memory to Hancock County 4-H Leaders Association, Bangor Area Recovery Network and the Bangor Ronald McDonald House. Each of these organizations critically shaped, supported and positively guided Maiah and her family through her time here with us. With them collectively, she was able to blossom as the marvelous spunky Maiah we will always love and hold dear to us.