PORTLAND – Carolyn Mae Ferrante passed away peacefully on April 15, 2022, at the age of 92.Carolyn was born in Portland on Nov. 25, 1929, to Byron and Katherine (Brown) Abbott.

After graduating from South Portland High School in 1949, Carolyn worked as a hairdresser and was co-owner of the Petite Beauty Salon on Congress Street in Portland.

Carolyn met her husband of 65 years, Rocco Ferrante, at a dance at the Stevens Avenue Armory in Portland. They were married Dec. 26, 1953, and lived together for many years on Parrott Street in the house Carolyn grew up in. From her kitchen window, she loved watching the boats arriving in Casco Bay and the twinkling lights of the Portland skyline.

Those who knew Carolyn will remember her warmth and kindness. She radiated happiness wherever she went and her smile was contagious. She enjoyed hosting meals and baking treats for her family and friends; no one ever left her house hungry or empty handed.

A loving and dedicated grandmother, Carolyn was always in the front row for her granddaughters’ ballet performances and basketball games. One of her favorite pastimes was going for drives with Rocco, usually ending with a stop at Red’s Dairy Freeze. An avid knitter, Carolyn donated hundreds of hats for babies born at local hospitals over the years.  She was also a member of the Osewantha Garden Club, the Order of the Eastern Star, the Italian Heritage Center, and the Fellowship Club (formerly Hilltop Guild) at the First Congregational Church in South Portland.

In December, Carolyn became a great-grandmother with the arrival of Leah Mae Guare, whose middle name is in honor of Carolyn. Even though they didn’t know each other for very long, they had the chance to hold hands and share some special smiles.

Carolyn was predeceased by her husband Rocco who passed away in 2019. She is survived by daughter, Diane (Ferrante) Skog Madden and her husband Edward; granddaughters Kate (Skog) Guare and her husband Christopher, and Molly Skog and her fiancé Tucker Derstine; great-granddaughter, Leah Mae Guare; brother, Charles Abbott; and many nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank the entire team at 75 State Street – her extended family – for taking such wonderful care of Carolyn these past few years.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, April 30, at 1 p.m. at the First Congregational Church in South Portland.

Online condolences may be expressed at www.hobbsfuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Carolyn’s name to: Seventy Five State Street 75 State St. Attn: Advancement Office Portland, ME 04101 www.75StateStreet.org/Support

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