VICTORIA ANNETTE BOWEN SMITH
Chebeague Island, Maine
January 6, 1925-June 13, 2016

Born January 6, 1925 on Chebeague Island to Archie L. and C. Marguerite (Bryan) Bowen, Victoria—Vick, Vicky, Toe, Tora, Tody, Tody-pie, Wicked-toria, Janie Scooter, Jane, Ma, Mum, Gram, Grammy Toe—was a woman of many names and boundless love. She took great joy in her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, relatives and friends, and always had an eye to the Miss Rumphius principle ‘to make the world a better place’. She would quickly add that Jesus and Grampa Bowen were preaching that sentiment long before Barbara Cooney.

A graduate of Chebeague Island High School, class of ‘42, Victoria worked in Grampa (Henry) Bowen’s store summers from age 12. She worked in the Island Post office for many years, as clerk and acting post mistress, until the family business* required her full time attention. (*“Smitty’s Water Taxi” was the foundation of the current Chebeague Transportation Company.)

She met “Smitty”—Jasper Ellery Smith from Bath, ME—when he came to Chebeague with the Army 240th Coast Artillery Battery K in the winter of ’42 during WWII. They married in ’43 and lived on Chebeague the rest of their lives, with some time out for an occasional fishing trip up North, and some much-loved and well-deserved Florida trips to visit their dear friends, Cliff and Betsy Leonard.

Predeceased by husband, brothers and sister, Victoria is survived by her two children, Linden E. Smith and Pauline A. (Sam) Hunneman, seven grandchildren; Jen Belesca, Jarrod Smith, Rebecca and Chris Towle; Elizabeth, Nicholas, and James Hunneman; six great-grandchildren; Ethan and Aaron Belesca, and Cambell, Brady, John, and Eva McLean; as well as many special nieces, nephews, cousins, and a dear sister-in-law, Liz Abbott.

Victoria was a member of, and served in many capacities for the Chebeague Island United Methodist Church and The Ladies Aid. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Chebeague Island United Methodist Church or to The Island Commons, her home for the last 3 and a half years.

A celebration of Victoria’s life will be held at 3:30pm, Saturday, June 18, at the Chebeague Island United Methodist Church.