BIDDEFORD — Adrienne Gregorio, 88, a beloved wife and mother who survived a Dickensian childhood in Maine only to return in her later years, died Friday, Jan. 22, 2016, at Southern Maine Health Care after a brief illness.

Born in Effingham, New Hampshire, on July 13, 1927, she was the daughter of John and Muriel (Graham) Crabtree. Abandoned and abused as a child, she was raised in a series of foster homes in Bridgton, leaving that small town as a young woman to pursue a romance and then a career in New York City.

She supported herself as an insurance claims examiner for nearly 40 years, bravely raising a son in an era when being a single mother carried a stigma. After a long courtship, she happily married Joseph Gregorio in 1979 and was widowed later that year.

In 1987 she married her devoted husband Frederic DeGiovanni, who survives her. They moved from the Bronx, New York, to Saco in 1990, and later Biddeford, where they forged strong friendships in the community.

A skilled seamstress and knitter, she created quilts, dresses and sweaters for appreciative family and friends. She loved language, nature, her many cats and all things Irish.

In 2013 she moved to Biddeford Estates, an assisted living facility, where her gentle manner won her the affection of the staff and fellow residents. She was grateful for every small kindness.

Survivors include: her son, Peter Crabtree, and his wife Katie Cleaver, of North Bennington, Vermont; a granddaughter, Anna Crabtree, also of North Bennington; and a cousin, Allen Crabtree III and his wife Penny of Sebago.

A memorial service will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Saco and Biddeford on Monday, Feb. 1, at 11 a.m., with a burial in the South Effingham Cemetery in the spring. Her family would like to thank the staff of Southern Maine Health Care and Biddeford Estates for their compassionate care. To view Adrienne’s memorial page or leave an online condolence, please visit www.cotefuneralhome.com.