Carolyn E. Boyd Ouellette, 84, of Cove’s Edge in Damariscotta, passed away on the morning of March 21, 2023, after a period of declining health. Carolyn was born on August 4, 1938 at Miles Memorial Hospital in Damariscotta and grew up on Lewis Hill Road in Newcastle, attended area schools and graduated from Lincoln Academy High School in 1957. She was married to Carroll L. Dinsmore, Jr. for nineteen years, later remarrying Joseph Reno Ouellette with whom she was married for twenty-five years. In 1979 she relocated from Midcoast Maine to Forestville, Connecticut and in 1982 to Shelbyville, Tennessee where she continued to reside until 2019 when her family moved her back home during her time of need.
Carolyn was a stay-at-home mom before holding various secretarial and clerical positions including at the Probate Office at Lincoln County Court House, Wiscasset, ME, Hartford National Bank, Hartford, CT., and U.S. Pen & Pencil Company, Shelbyville, TN.
For over twenty-five years Carolyn was an active volunteer at Civitan—a foundation for enhancing the lives of the developmentally impaired. She and her late husband also gave of their time at the annual Shelbyville Walking Horse Show. For many years she was on a women’s and senior’s bowling league and participated in line-dancing. When living in Connecticut, she enjoyed boating with Reno—making several trips across Long Island Sound to visit her father then living in Southampton. She loved to travel and visited nearly every state in our nation, including Alaska and Hawaii. Carolyn was exceptionally good at playing word games of any sort including Scrabble and crossword puzzles, and playing Trivial Pursuit and assembling jigsaw puzzles. Carolyn loved animals, particularly her dog, RC, and her many cats she had over the years.
Carolyn attended church regularly at the church of Nazarene, and before that as a congregationalist. She loved people and could hold a conversation with anyone.
Carolyn was predeceased by her husband, Joseph Reno Ouellette; father, Harry W. Boyd; mother, Isabelle Lewis Boyd; step mother, Cote Vandermark Boyd; and brother, Raymond Boyd.
She is survived by her daughters, Holly Dinsmore; Jean Brewer and husband, Richard; Cassidy Dinsmore and spouse, Karen White; and her son, Timothy Dinsmore and wife, Wendy Longe; grandchildren ,Bethany Podrasky and husband Robert, Brandon Brewer and companion Katie Taylor, Daniel Dinsmore, Julie Dinsmore and fiancé Leo Ray, Acadia Dinsmore and Marina Dinsmore; great grandchildren Taylor Podrasky and companion Lawrence Friend, Shyanne Podrasky, Mason Brewer and Maverick Brewer; stepsons, John Ouellette and wife Barbara; Joseph Ouellette; stepdaughters, Mary Ouellette Bisson and husband, Gary; Ramona Ouellette; Denise Ouellette Berkmoes and husband Robert; step grandchildren, Nathan Berkmoes, Andrea Berkmoes, Joshua Ouellette, Peter Ouellette, John Ouellette, Rachel St-Pierre, Ryan Ouellette, Rebecca Hurle, Janet Hurle, Garret Bisson, Devin Bisson, Jesse Bisson, Rhiannon Ouellette, Morgan Ouellette; and thirteen step great grandchildren.
Carolyn had many friends and neighbors she cherished over the years—too numerous to list, but a few from her past were particularly close: Nancy Baldwin, Maurice Blomquist, Shirley Chadbourne, Anna Flood, Polly French, Charlotte Gourley, Sylvia Gray, and Janet Ray of Maine; and Leanna Clanton, Trey Clanton, Minnie Cooper, Sherman Harden and Jerry Bowman of Tennessee.
Every year Carolyn and Reno would visit family back in Maine and Connecticut—it was the highlight of the summer. One of Carolyn’s special places was Pemaquid Point where she insisted on walking over the rocky shoreline to touch the sea and smell the salt air. Her family will miss the summer lobster feasts and the laughter and love we all shared when together. Beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and friend to many, she is greatly missed. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to a local chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.
Visiting hours will be held from 10-11 a.m. on Saturday, April 8th, followed by a service at 11 a.m. all to be held at the Strong-Hancock Funeral Home in Damariscotta.
Arrangements are under the direction and care of the Strong-Hancock Funeral Home, 612 Main St., Damariscotta, ME 04543. Condolences and messages for Carolyn’s family, may be expressed by visiting: www.StrongHancock.com.
