Cecile (Ross) Caya
LYMAN – Cecile (Ross) Caya, 72, of Lyman, passed away peacefully on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024.
Cecile was born in Biddeford to Paul and Jeannette (Labbe) Ross. She graduated from Biddeford High School in 1970. She met the love of her life, Robert Caya, and the two were married in April of 1975. Four years later, they welcomed a little girl, Christine.
Over the years, Cecile worked for her parents at their State Farm Insurance office, Morning Star in Kennebunk, Biddeford Box Shop, Herman Shoe in Scarborough, Corning and AVX in Biddeford, and the Prince of Fundy in Portland. She found a job she absolutely loved as a toll collector for the Maine Turnpike Authority. Working at various toll plazas across York and Cumberland Counties, she finally settled at the Kennebunk West toll and after more than 20 years there, retired in April of 2019.
Cecile always loved spending time with her family, especially her mother and sister, Elaine. The three of them were thick as thieves. She enjoyed playing cards with her daughter and son-in-law, and really took great joy in beating her daughter – every single time.
She also loved going gambling and playing the slot machines at Foxwoods, Mohegan Sun, and Oxford Casino, and was a firm believer that the slot machines ‘spoke’ to her. The good ones, anyhow.
Cecile will be remembered for her kindness and generosity toward everyone she met. She had a unique gift for identifying lost souls and helping them find their way. A newspaper profile of her once said “Kennebunk, along with drivers from all around the world, has loved that personality” and truer words were never written. From her tollbooth, she dispensed words of encouragement to drivers, and treats to both kids and canines. She was always willing to personally pay the fare of someone who was down on their luck. Her wicked sense of humor, booming laughter, and penchant for storytelling were unmatched.
She loved Halloween, scary movies, sharing Bismarks from Reilly’s Bakery as a thank-you gift, and taking a cruise on a summer afternoon down to Old Orchard Beach in the convertible with her husband. No one loved harder than her — and being loved by her is a precious gift that will forever be cherished.
In addition to her parents, Cecile was predeceased by her beloved sister, Elaine Wojcieszek.
She is survived by her husband, Robert of Lyman; daughter, Christine (her husband, Michael) Koryta of Bloomington, Ind. and Camden; brother-in-law, Stephen Wojciezek of West Palm Beach, Fla.; nephew, Michael (his wife, Loren) Wojciezek of West Palm Beach, Fla., niece, Kimberly Wojciezek of Brooklyn, N.Y.; sister-in-law, Jacqueline Caya of Brandon, Fla., and brother-in-law, Richard Caya of Lyman.
A service will be held at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Biddeford in the Spring. Arrangements are by Hope Memorial Chapel. To share condolences online, please visit http://www.HopeMemorial.com.
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