PORTLAND – Marie (Cory) DesPres, 77, (formerly of Cornville, Maine) passed away on December 19, 2019, from dementia-related complications. She passed away peacefully with her sons at her bedside.The daughter of George Cormier and Premilia LeBlanc, Cory was born in Leominster, Mass., on August 14, 1942. She graduated from Lunenburg H.S. before attending Sargent College / Boston University. While attending summer classes at the University of New Hampshire, she met the love of her life, Leonard DesPres, and they married on July 20, 1963. They resided in Vermont and Massachusetts before moving to Maine to raise their family.From 1969-1975, Cory served as a “mother to many” at the Hinckley School where she was a dorm parent in the Guilford Cottage. At Hinckley, she became the equestrian instructor and her passion for horses transformed the lives of many students.In 1976, the family moved to Cornville, Maine where Cory pursued her dream of having a small horse farm, raising vegetables and flowers, and enjoying the country life. She worked at Redington Fairview General Hospital in Skowhegan as a medical transcriptionist until she took on the task of caring for her in-laws. Cory was active in the Democratic Party and volunteered at the Cornville polls and caucuses. Cory was a lifelong learner with hobbies that included woodworking, basket weaving, and chamber music. She and her husband enjoyed traveling and celebrated their 25th anniversary by bicycling through Ireland. They also spent time in the UK, France, and the eastern provinces of Canada. She was predeceased by her husband Leonard DesPres who passed in 2016, her brother George Cormier, and sisters Arlene (Cormier) Place and Marilyn Cormier. She is survived by her brother Alwin Cormier and his wife Sarah Jane, sister-in-law Elizabeth Cormier, brother-in-law Daniel DesPres and wife Suzy, and her two sons, Andrew and his wife Elaine, Brian and his wife Noella, and four grandchildren, Renee, Camden, Nolan and Lucas.Her family expresses gratitude and thanks to the caring nursing staff at Cedars, Hospice of Southern Maine and life-long friends, Sam and Pauline Hirth. Memorial and funeral services will be determined at a later date. In the interim, family members ask friends to honor Cory’s memory by remembering an important lesson she always imparted. “We can never have too much fun.”Online condolence messages can be submitted at the Chad E. Poitras Cremation and Funeral Service website, www.mainefuneral.comIn lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to: The Cedars“Grow Bold” campaign,630 Ocean Ave,Portland Maine 04103 for their memory care

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