PORTLAND — Juliette (Laflamme) Garfield, 92, died peacefully June 18 at The Cedars Retirement Community.

She was born in Biddeford on July 15, 1922, to Albert Laflamme and Isabelle (Parent) Laflamme, and grew up in Dover, New Hampshire. While attending McIntosh Business School in Dover, she met John Garfield. They married in June 1945 in Florida, while he was on leave from the U.S. Army.

The couple lived in York Beach for the 52 years of their marriage. As a stay-at-home mom, Juliette raised four children, providing everything from homemade cookies to piano lessons, from chauffeur services to special times with family and friends at Cape Neddick Beach.

In 1983, in her mid-life, Garfield fulfilled her dream of opening a gift and craft shop, Cloverleaf Gifts. She and her husband also enjoyed for many years annual trips to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, as well as a memorable trip to the Canadian Maritimes and a three-week trip to the American Southwest. In her mid-70s, she also joined her daughter on cruises to the Caribbean and trips to Italy and to Ireland.

Besides being an avid knitter, embroiderer, needlepointer and crafter, Garfield loved watching the parade of people “from away” during the summers. She was also active for many years in the fairs of Star of the Sea and St. Christopher parishes, and served as the typist of her church’s weekly bulletin.

Garfield is survived by her four children, to whom she provided both a patient ear and New England-terse advice: Susan, of Portland; Kathleen Williams and her husband, Robert, of Standish; Kevin and his wife, Johanne, of Wells; and John and his wife, Nancy, of York. She is also survived by her five grandchildren, Jessica Flowers, of Madison, Ohio, James Garfield, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, Benjamin Garfield, of Medford, Massachusetts, Kaitlin Williams, of Colchester, Connecticut, and Sarah Garfield, of York; two great grandchildren; her sister, Pauline Calderwood, of Dover; her lifelong friend and partner in crafts, Rita Joy, of Dover; and her special singing friend, Lynda Mullen, of Portland.

At Garfield’s request, there will be no funeral. A private graveside service was to be held.

The family extends special thanks to the staff and volunteers at The Cedars who provided compassionate care during the last months of her life.

Sidebar Elements

---

Garfield

Copy the Story Link