FALMOUTH — Avis E. Farwell, 100, died peacefully at Legacy Memory Care in Falmouth on Dec. 21.

She was born Jan. 25, 1914, in Troy, the daughter of Fred G. Ward and Ethel Hunt Ward. She grew up with two younger brothers on the family’s small dairy farm in Unity, where she often took a horse-and-buggy to school. She graduated from Unity High School and Farmington Normal School, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in home economics.

After teaching for a short time in Unity Plantation, she married her high school sweetheart, William Farwell, in 1936. The couple lived for two years in Buckfield, and then moved to Cumberland, where Bill taught at Greely Institute. They eventually moved to Falmouth, where they raised their three children. After substituting for a few years, Avis began teaching home economics at Falmouth Junior High School. She went on to teach for 17 years and retired in 1971.

Farwell was a lifelong member of the Falmouth Congregational Church, and a member and former chief of the Pythian Sisters of Falmouth No. 100. She enjoyed Saturday night dances, bowling with friends, playing bridge and taking car trips.

After retirement, Farwell and her husband spent many winters in Florida, and she became an expert shuffleboard player, winning numerous awards. The couple also traveled to many destinations, including Alaska, England, France, Iceland and Germany. At home, her interests included knitting, sewing, gardening, playing spider solitaire and solving jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles and word-find puzzles.

Farwell was predeceased by her husband in 2009 after 72 years of marriage, and by her brothers, Stanley Ward and Ralph Ward.

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She is survived by her children, Brian Farwell and wife, Linda, of Phillips, Martha Peterson and husband, John, of Mount Vernon, Washington, and Deborah Auclair and husband, Paul, of Cumberland; her grandchildren, Susan Bachand and husband, Craig, of Casco, Jeffrey Farwell, of Plymouth, Michigan, Erik Peterson and wife, Kerri, of Seattle, Jennifer Grusz and husband, Bryan, of Sammamish, Washington, Kristen Garvie and husband, Drew, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, Alison Scheib and husband, Peter, of Camden, and Nicole Pryse and husband, Kevin, of North Reading, Massachusetts; and 10 great-grandchildren.

Farwell and her husband lived in the Oceanview retirement community for 16 years until his death. Her family would like to thank the staffs of Falmouth House, Caretree, Legacy Memory Care and Life Choices Hospice for the care she received.

Services and burial at Blanchard Cemetery will be held in the spring.

For those who wish, donations may be made in Farwell’s memory to the Alzheimer’s Association, Maine Chapter, 170 U.S. Route 1, Suite 250, Falmouth, ME 04105, or to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Maine Affiliate, P.O. Box 126, Bangor, ME 04402-1626.

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