Theresa Cerino, the mother of nine, died Tuesday at the age of 63.

“She’s an amazing woman,” said her daughter Rebekah Cerino, remembering how Mrs. Cerino never raised her voice at any of her children while they were growing up.

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Theresa Cerino, a Deering High School graduate and a mother of nine, died Tuesday at the age of 63. Cerino also had 11 grandchildren. Family photo

Shortly after graduating from Deering High School, Mrs. Cerino met and married Jacob Cerino. Their 45th wedding anniversary would have been next May, he said.

While she held a few part-time jobs over the years, Mrs. Cerino’s primary role was as a homemaker, caring for her children and her husband.

She helped her husband, who is a pastor, spread God’s message, her daughter said. Mrs. Cerino always delivered that message with a kind smile.

“Anyone who met her once just felt such a connection,” she said.

“Everyone who has ever met her has loved her,” said another daughter, Brenda Cerino.

She said her mother raised nine children on a strict budget, teaching them that material things were not necessary in life.

Mrs. Cerino never wore makeup or paid attention to the latest fashions, her daughter said.

She emphasized that the important things in life were not things that could be bought.

Though she didn’t embrace a need for material objects, her son James Cerino said he and his siblings had everything they needed when they were growing up.

“She sacrificed herself for us,” always put her children’s needs before her own, he said.

Mrs. Cerino lived in the moment and encouraged her children to do the same.

“Just take the time to enjoy what’s around you” was the advice she gave, said her daughter Debbie Cerino. “You don’t know how long it’s going to be there.”

She remembers her mother appreciating the little wonders of the world, such as flowers and the changing seasons. Mrs. Cerino loved everybody and everything, her daughter said, and she made sure the people she loved knew that.

With her children still living in the area, and having children of their own, Mrs. Cerino would cook Sunday dinners for any who could stop in. Her son said she would shop on Saturday for a meal that would feed many people, because she never knew how many would come for dinner.

Mrs. Cerino delighted in caring for her 11 grandchildren. Her son said he always enjoyed asking her about the grandchildren because her face would light up.

During the summers, Mrs. Cerino and her husband rented cabins on Sebago Lake as a gathering place for the family. She was always welcoming to whoever wanted to visit.

It was that welcoming, warm nature that made Mrs. Cerino loved by many. Debbie Cerino said their home was always a gathering place for the children and friends.

“Growing up, our friends always wanted to come to our house,” her daughter said, and her mother was always baking or cooking something.

Staff Writer Emma Bouthillette can be contacted at 791-6325 or at: ebouthillette@pressherald.com