She was born on April 22, 1927, to John and Bernadette (Bissonette) Gillis in Island Pond, Vermont. She married Adelbert Joseph Martineau on Oct. 6, 1950, in South Portland, and they raised their family in Saco.
Alice loved gardening, especially caring for her African violets and tomato plants. She was a loving and caring sister, mother, grandmother and friend who adored her grandchildren, and will be deeply missed by her close-knit family.
Alice was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in January 1971, and worshipped him faithfully for the past 45 years. Most important to Alice was her strong love for her God, Jehovah, and her unwavering faith in His promise of a resurrection to life on a paradise Earth under the rule of God’s Kingdom in the near future.
She loved sharing the truths of the Bible with anyone she came in contact with even up to the last days of her life. One of her favorite scriptures was Isaiah 41:10, 13, which reads, “Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be anxious, for I am your God. I will fortify you, yes, I will help you, I will really hold on to you with my right hand of righteousness. For I, Jehovah your God, am grasping your right hand, The One saying to you, ‘Do not be afraid. I will help you.’”
She was preceded in death by: her parents; her husband, Adelbert, in 1981; her sister, Simonne Paradis; two brothers, Alexander (Pete) and Benjamin Gillis; and two son-in-laws, David Faragi in 1996 and Ronald Rand in 2005.
She is survived by: three daughters, Rachel A. Martineau and Diane R. Faragi, with whom she lived, and Annette M. Rand of Sanford; three sons, Michael P. Martineau of Rockland, David E. Martineau and his wife Patricia of Rainier, Oregon, and Donald J. Martineau and his wife Kimberly of Saco; eight grandchildren, Benjamin Rand of Portland, Brian Rand and his wife Ariel of West Newfield, Ethan Rand of Sanford, Rebekah Chapman and her husband Solomon of Douglas, Massachusetts, and Amanda, Jonah, Caleb and Chelsey Martineau, all of Saco; one great-grandson, Ryker Rand of West Newfield; three sisters, Adelaide Hall of Casco, Marion Howell of South Portland, and Jane (Kit) Asselin of Florida; one brother, Alfred (Bobby) Gillis of Springfield, Massachusetts; and several nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 86 Shadagee Road, Saco.
Arrangements are with Chad E. Poitras Cremation and Funeral Service, Buxton; mainefuneral.com.
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