FALMOUTH — Evelyn Pitkanen, 97, died Jan. 17 at Legacy at Ocean View, in Falmouth, with her family by her side.

She was born Nov. 9, 1917, in Whitman, Massachusetts, the daughter of Marion and Clarence Wright. She resided in Massachusetts with her husband, Tauno, for many years, but purchased a home at Ocean View when it opened in 1986. The couple moved to Maine permanently several years later.

Evelyn’s family and faith were the center of her life, and she will be remembered as a devoted wife, a supportive mother and a loving grandmother, sister, aunt and friend. She was a lifelong member of the Lutheran faith, attending Emmaus Church, in Falmouth, and serving as a Sunday school teacher.

Her desire to help others led Pitkanen to become a volunteer teacher at Perkins School for the Blind, in Watertown, Massachusetts. She and Tauno also volunteered together at Jordan Hospital, in Plymouth, Massachusetts, for many years. More recently her interests included watercolor painting, recording books for the visually impaired, music, lunch with “her girls,” Bible study and especially, visiting with her grandchildren.

Pitkanen and her husband also enjoyed travel, including visits to Helsinki, Finland, where Tauno connected with his extended family of three generations.

Pitkanen was predeceased by Tauno in 2001; her parents; her grandson, Stephen Rising; and her nephew, David Bergquist.

Advertisement

She is survived by her two daughters, Gail Graumnitz and husband, Peter, of Cumberland, and Carol Rising Richards and husband, Bill, of Gray; her granddaughter, Kristin Keaney and husband, John, of South Portland; her grandson, Steven Graumnitz, wife Helen and children Stephanie, Kimberly and Emily, all of Franklin, Massachusetts; her grandson, Craig Rising, wife Kristi and children Tre, Courtney and Cody, all of Tallahassee, Florida; her sister, Virginia Bergquist, of Duxbury, Massachusetts; her niece, Eileen Miller, of Duxbury, Massachusetts; her grandniece, Delleyne McGee, husband Danny and daughter Caitlin, all of Halifax, Massachusetts; and grandnephew Darren Miller and wife Maria, of Nevada.

The family would like to thank the staff at Legacy for their kind care and support.

A memorial service will be held at Blanchard Cemetery, in Falmouth, in the spring. Arrangements are by Lindquist Funeral Home, of Yarmouth.

Sidebar Elements


Pitkanen


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.