BATH — Mary Ellen Mussenden, 88, a retired nurse and devoted wife, mother, and grandmother, died Jan. 24 after a brief illness.
She was born in Bath on Oct. 23, 1920, daughter of Minnie V. and Joseph W. Cyr.
After graduating from Newton-Wellesley Hospital School of Nursing in 1943, she devoted herself to nursing.
She was an active member with the Junior Hospital League after retirement, volunteering at Mid Coast Hospital.
She married William F. Mussenden on Oct. 14, 1945. They raised three sons together and were happily married for 59 years until his death in 2004.
She loved to read, knit, and needlepoint. For many years, she enjoyed boating in Boothbay Harbor aboard the “Mary Ellen,” a boat her husband named for her.
She was a gracious woman who gave much of herself to others.
Surviving her are her sons William S. Mussenden, Christopher P. Mussenden and Edward C. Mussenden; six grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and close friends including John, Anne, Jesse and Lindsay Marsh.
A memorial celebration will be held at Grace Episcopal Church, 1100 Washington St., Bath, on Jan. 31 at 2 p.m.
Memorial donations may be made to the Pine Tree Society, P.O. Box 518, Bath, ME 04530.
Arrangements are by David E. Desmond & Son Funeral Home, 638 High St., Bath.

Mussenden