BANGOR – Holly Patterson Horne died peacefully surrounded by family on Dec. 21, 2023.

She was born on March 3, 1938 to Beatrice L. Patterson and Milton L. Patterson in Providence, R.I. Holly spent her childhood in Cranston, R.I. and worked summers as a teenager at The Craigville Inn on Cape Cod.

After high school at Cushing Academy she attended the University of New Hampshire in Durham. Holly was very active in student organizations including Chi Omega Sorority where she was a sister and was voted UNH Winter Carnival Queen. It was also at UNH that she met the love of her life, and future husband of 52 years, Peter.

After graduating from UNH in 1960, she began a career with American Airlines as a flight attendant while Peter served in the U.S. Air Force. They were married on Oct. 4, 1964.

Peter and Holly eventually settled in Rye, N.H. where they began raising their two boys, Christian (b.1967) and Eric (b.1969). It was in Rye that Holly forged deep friendship bonds with her ‘Rye Gang’. These bonds continued for the rest of her life and the Rye Gang would often come to Freeport once Peter and Holly moved there in 1975.

Holly and Peter made a wonderful team in all of the family adventures; be it boat trips on Casco Bay, volunteering at Soule School, chaperoning ski trips in the mountains, camping on the shore, or restoring three houses including one on Cape Cod. They did it all.

Holly’s happiest moments were during her family trips back to Cape Cod in August of each year. She always considered herself a ‘Cape Cod Girl’ and as she plunged into the waves at Craigville Beach after the long drive from Maine, she would say to her excited sons, “We made it!”

In addition to her time at American Airlines, Holly was also a travel agent in Brunswick, a library assistant at Morse Street School and reference librarian for over 10 years at the Portsmouth Public Library in New Hampshire.

Losing Peter in 2016, Holly made the best of a difficult situation and carried on at her Freeport home for as long as she could. She took solace in the peace and quiet of these last years – often commenting on the beauty of the wildlife in her backyard.

In the last months of her life, she was cared for with unwavering love and support from the staff at Winterberry Heights and Gentiva Hospice.

Holly is survived by her two sons, Christian and Eric, their wives Patricia Horne and Valy Steverlynck; and her nine grandchildren, Lauren, Lindsay, Craig, Griffen, Bernadette, Maximo, Avery, Teo and Pilar.

A private family service will be held in August.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to your local library.

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