PORTLAND — Frances Grace Buck Foster, 83, died from heart failure Oct. 27 at Maine Medical Center in Portland, in the company of her caregiver and best friend, her daughter.

Foster was born Sept. 26, 1931, a daughter Doris and Clinton Buck, of Monmouth, and the younger sister of Priscilla Buck Peard. The family lived in Eliot, while her father helped build submarines in the Portsmouth, New Hampshire, shipyard. Following World War II, the family moved to Augusta.

Foster earned an associate’s degree in nursing at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. She met her future husband, Merriman Collins Foster, while she was working at Camp Maranacook as a camp nurse. The couple married in 1954 and had their first son, James, in 1955. They moved to South Portland, and later to Scarborough. The couple remained married for 53 years until Merriman’s death in 2007.

Frances worked as a nurse both in hospitals and in private duty, and maintained an active interest in medicine throughout her healthy life. Known as “Mimi” to her grandchildren, she also enjoyed crafts, the autoharp, art, bargain hunting, good reads, Scrabble and candid conversation.

She is survived by her five children, James Foster, of Portland, Lori Sturgeon, of Buxton, Lee Foster, of Yarmouth, William Foster, of Durango, Colorado, and Duncan Foster, of Fitchburg, Wisconsin; as well as 10 grandchildren.

A memorial service was held Nov. 1 at First Congregational Church in Scarborough.

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