Lisa Wharff

PORTLAND – On July 25, 2024, Lisa passed away at the Maine Medical Center in Portland after her struggles with lung and brain cancer.

She was born on Feb. 25, 1961, at the Blue Hill Memorial Hospital, the daughter of William T. Kief and Joanne (Perkins) Kief. She spent her early years in Winterport where her family had moved to in 1962 and started her schooling there. In 1968, the family moved to Hancock where her parents had built a house, and she continued her schooling there at the Hancock Grammar School and then went on to Ellsworth High School, graduating in 1979.

After high school, she did some traveling with friends around the country, visiting in Texas, Florida, Connecticut and then to New Hampshire. While living in New Hampshire in 1981, she met the father of her children, Christopher Allen Wharff, of Merrimack, N.H. Christopher and Lisa were married in 1984 and remained together until 1998, settling in Gray. Christopher and Lisa had two girls, Jennifer (1988) and Katherine (1993) Lisa later moved to Yarmouth, where her two daughters attended school and were raised. Eventually Lisa bought a home in Freeport and loved it well.

Lisa will be remembered fondly for her charm, kindness, stubbornness, tenacity, sense of humor, beautiful blue eyes, and a smile that could light up a room. She was an avid gardener, and as many have said, “Lisa could sit on a rock and make it grow.” To say she had a green thumb was an understatement. She saved seeds and started all her plants every year from seed in her beloved grow room. She could walk down the street and tell you the name of any plant, she was truly a Natural Historian in her own right.

Some other things that Lisa loved were her pets and the wild birds she diligently fed and watered. Lisa’s eastern blue birds would not know a moment without mealworms, and she cared deeply for all the creatures that entered her life. She and her family share an absurd love of seafood, and particularly Lisa loved clams, raw oysters, and dried fish. It wasn’t unusual to find Lisa enjoying a raw oyster for breakfast, and always, always ate the tomalley from the lobster. Lisa worked for most of her years as a mortgage broker for CMG Mortgage. She is deeply missed by her family, friends, and colleagues, and will be forever cherished in our hearts.

She was predeceased by her father, William, stepdad Johnny, “Bumpa”; stepbrother, Michael Kief; and grandparents.

She is survived by her children, Jennifer Wharff and husband Jay Falcone of Sherborn, Mass., Katherine Smith and husband Teague of Harpswell; her grandsons Christopher Falcone and Orrin Smith; her mother, Joanne Kief; sister, Sherry Kief, stepsisters Sharon Liebig, Laurie Troyer and Earl; her partner, Paul Suyama; nieces, nephews; many cousins; and her beloved dog “Lucie”; and a very, very special lifelong friend, helper, caregiver, rides to treatments and by her side in her darkest hours, Karin Merchant.

A celebration of life will be held for Lisa at her sister, Sherry’s home in Hancock, on Sunday, Sept. 1, from 1 to 4 p.m. For details, please contact Karin Merchant or Jennifer Wharff.

In lieu of flowers, the family would suggest donating to your local animal shelter, wildlife rehabilitation center, or local ASPCA

in Lisa’s name.