PORTLAND – Therese McNeill, 94, of Portland, passed away peacefully on June 5, 2022, surrounded by her family.

Therese was born Therese Dart in Astoria, Queens, N.Y. on Oct. 3, 1927, to parents Harry and Margaret Dart. She joined older sister, Anne, and soon became the middle child with the birth of her younger sister, Peggy.

Therese told stories about her early years during the Great Depression, where she would walk the streets of Astoria looking for cigarette butts for her father, but also that her parents would feed hungry people who came to their backdoor.

As a teenager, Therese received a scholarship to attend Bishop McDonnell Memorial High School, an all-girls Catholic high school in Brooklyn, N.Y. She took the subway an hour each way to attend the school, where she made friendships she maintained until the end of her life. She graduated from high school in 1945 and started college at Fordham University. She transferred to Hofstra University and graduated with a degree in education.

Therese married John McNeill in 1951 and moved to Levittown, N.Y. where she raised five children. She taught 1st grade at East Meadow Elementary School, helping hundreds of children learn to read. She spent summers with her family on Hancock Pond in Denmark. During these summers, she pursued and attained a master’s degree at the University of Southern Maine.

Therese retired in 1989 and moved to Portland to be closer to her grandchildren. She enjoyed her retirement, spending her time traveling –she liked to share that she visited all seven continents– and volunteering at the Portland Museum of Art. She was a lifelong learner, taking classes and reading extensively throughout her retirement. Therese, also known as “Grammie”, shared her love of travel with her grandchildren taking them each on trips to spend time with her.

She was predeceased by her husband, John; her sisters Peggy (Dart) Sammon and Anne Dart Gonzales both of Albuquerque, N.M.; her son, John, and daughter-in-law, Jean Johnston of Albany, N.Y.

Therese is survived by her sons James (Laura) McNeill of Portland, Joe (Nancy) McNeill of Portland, Robert McNeill of San Francisco, Calif., and Albee Barker of Boulder City, Nev.; grandchildren Carla (Joe) McGarvey of Takoma Park, Md., Wesley (Lani) McNeill of Salisbury, Vt., Devin (Erin) McNeill of Portland, Connor (Corinne) McNeill of Gorham, and Liam McNeill of Westbrook; and great-grandchildren, in order of age, Everett, Oden, James, Rose, Oliver, Alva, Ian, and Finn.

The family would like to thank the dedicated and caring workforce of 75 State Street and Beacon Hospice who helped care for Therese and the other residents during the most trying times in recent memory.

In accordance with her wishes, Therese’s body has been donated to the University of New England Medical School. She liked to joke that it was her way of getting into medical school. There will be a private memorial service held for family later this summer.

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