GORHAM – Agnes Anthony Helming “Toni,” 98, passed away peacefully on March 29, 2024 at Gorham House.

Toni was born on Aug. 24, 1925 in New Brighton, Pa., the younger daughter of William and Alexa Robertson Anthony. While a student at UConn, she met Fred Helming. They were married on June 28, 1947.

Toni and Fred raised their family of six children in Waterbury, Conn. and were involved in the community and their children’s many activities. In 1977, they moved to Wallingford, Conn. where they were involved members of their church and the community. Toni volunteered with many groups in Wallingford, Conn.

In 2008, Toni and Fred moved to Gorham. Fred died on June 12, 2017, and in 2020, Toni moved to Gorham House where she made many dear friends in the tight-knit community on Lincoln.

Toni’s parents bought a small cottage on Southport Island in 1951, which began the family’s 70-plus year love affair with the island and Maine. Beginning in the mid-1960s, when Toni and Fred bought the cottage next door, she and the children were on Southport full time in the summer, and Fred commuted from his job in Connecticut.

Cozy Harbor was her favorite place to be. Her love of the island was enhanced by the generations of friends she made at the Southport Yacht Club. She participated in all the activities and especially enjoyed watching the season-opening swim test for new sailors at the Southport Junior Yacht Club and working at the Past Commodores’ Lobster Bake. In these last years, Toni delighted in watching her grandchildren become parents and introduce their children to all Southport has to offer.

Toni was predeceased by son, John, in 1977; husband, Fred, in 2017; and son, David, in 2021. Her parents and sister, Mary, also predeceased her.

Toni is survived by children, Bill and spouse Peg Helming of Southport, Jim and spouse Kathy Helming of Portland and Southport, Susan Godfrey and spouse Chet of Charlton, Mass., and Tom and spouse Mary Helming of Somerville, Mass. and Southport; grandchildren Sarah Helming of Portland, Andrew and spouse Amanda Helming of Charlotte, Vt., Matt Helming and spouse Vanessa Lipschitz of Newton, Mass., Nate Helming and spouse Erin Moody of Bend, Ore., Tim Helming of Fort Collins, Colo., Luke Helming of St. Louis, Mo., Lexi Helming and partner Chris Shubert of Harpswell, Meg Helming and spouse Justin Boudrow of Cumberland, Brett Godfrey of Portland, Ore., Craig Godfrey and spouse Maggie Hodder of Portland, Ore., Katherine Walsh and spouse Ryan of North Reading, Mass., and Emily Fleming and spouse Eugene of Ashland, Mass,; 11 great-grandchildren; and nieces and nephews.

In these last weeks, Toni and her family were lovingly cared for by the staffs at Gorham House and Compassus Hospice.

A memorial service will be held at First Parish Congregational Church of Gorham on Saturday, April 27, at 1 p.m., and Toni’s family plans a reception for her Southport community this summer.

A full obituary appears at https://www.dolbyblaissegee.com/obituaries/

To honor Toni, her family suggests donations to:

Southport

Memorial Library

P.O. Box 148

Southport, ME 04576;

The Iris Network

(www.theiris.org); or

Gorham House

Activities Fund

50 New Portland Rd.

Gorham, ME 04038

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