SCARBOROUGH – Frances Jane Addor (known to her family as “Sasshy”) passed away on Oct. 21, 2021 at her Piper Shores residence in Scarborough. The daughter of Jefferson and Hazel Foster, she was born a Maine Girl on Nov. 29, 1927 in Portland.

Growing up in a sparsely populated part of South Portland offered the opportunity for outdoor fun with open areas for sledding, small woods ponds for skating in winter and summertime excursions to Higgins Beach with family and friends.

Frances Jane matriculated through the South Portland school system. She enjoyed playing basketball in high school and in her senior year was elected to the all-Telegram team. One of her high school summers was spent on a bike as a messenger at the South Portland shipyard during WW II and another as a Women’s Field Service volunteer picking beans to help the war effort.

Frances Jane became a freshman at the University of Maine in the fall of 1945. In her second week, at a freshman mixer, she saw a tall guy over by the record player. She introduced herself (all 5′ 8” of her) and married him five years later.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in zoology and her teaching certificate in 1949 and began teaching at a small high school in North New Portland covering math, science and English and coaching the girls’ basketball team. Between the older couple she lived with, and her students, she marveled at life-lessons she learned that year.

In 1950, Frances Jane married Roger Addor at the old Spurwink Church in Cape Elizabeth, after which she worked at the University of Maine and Ohio State University libraries while Roger completed his education. The following few years in southern Connecticut allowed for substitute teaching, wonderful access to New York City, acquiring a first house, and was highlighted by the adoption of a daughter, Jane and a son, Thomas. A company move to Princeton, N.J. saw the new family settling in 1961 outside of the small town of Pennington, near Princeton, in rural Hopewell Township.

While raising the children, Frances Jane was an active member of the Pennington Presbyterian Church teaching Sunday School and working with the deacons. She became active with the League of Women Voters, volunteered at a Trenton soup kitchen while working with a group aiding people to improve their English. She enjoyed the outdoors, serving as a docent with the local watershed association. Frances Jane continued periods of teaching and, with the children grown, joined the Newgrange School in Princeton dedicated to the guidance and teaching of children with learning disabilities. She loved those children and felt great satisfaction and sense of accomplishment in their successes.

During the New Jersey period, returning to Mother Maine for holidays was a joy to Frances Jane and included vacation time with family at Higgins Beach, a special place throughout her days growing up and one happily shared with her grandchildren. Indeed, one granddaughter chose the site of the old shipwreck there for her wedding.

With retirement, a move was made to Scarborough better to share life with family including four delightful granddaughters, the last of which was born on the 4th of July, 1996 coinciding with arrival of the grandparents from New Jersey. Continuing to share her time with children to enrich their circumstances, Frances Jane volunteered over many years as a one-on-one teacher at the Long Creek Youth Center and, as a docent, leading children on outdoor forays with Maine Audubon. She became an active member of the South Portland Congregational Church working with the church’s food pantry and in serving meals at the Preble Street Soup Kitchen.

Over the years, she and Roger found much enjoyment travelling throughout parts the American West and experiencing parts of England and Western Europe. Several delightful visits to the Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus were made while daughter Jane and family were in residence there.

For fun along the way, a course in carpentry produced a large toy box. She introduced the Apple II as the first computer in the household and challenged herself with a class in programming. She enjoyed the symphony, early morning walks, reading, sewing and knitting, crafting with grandchildren, fun bridge with good friends, skiing, cooking and bread making. Always foremost in mind was love of family and sharing time, space and happenings with each special member.

Frances Jane is survived by her beloved and devoted husband of 71 years, Roger Addor of Scarborough; daughter Jane and husband Martin Marris of Wye, England, son Thomas Addor and Caitlin Gabelmann of East Whiting, daughter-in-law Kelly Addor of South Portland; granddaughters Heather and husband Reuben Maltsberger of Austin, Texas, Caroline Marris and husband Daniel Kanhofer of East Windsor, N.J., Catherine Marris of London, England, and Hannah Addor of South Portland; and great-grandchildren Emory, Maren, and twins Elizabeth and Henry.

Frances was predeceased by her brother, Scott Foster of Owls Head, and her sister, Faith Strachan of Scarborough.

The family will hold a memorial service for Frances in January.

Arrangements entrusted to Hobbs Funeral Home of South Portland. Online condolences may be expressed at http://www.hobbsfunralhome.com.

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