Lorraine Moreau

Lorraine Moreau, longtime bookkeeper for Hamilton Service Station in Portland, died June 19 of complications from dementia. She was 87.

Mrs. Moreau, a Falmouth resident, tested positive for COVID-19 in April. She recovered, but the virus took a significant toll on her health. She declined quickly and died at The Cedars in Portland.

She was remembered Tuesday as a friendly and outgoing person, who enjoyed spending time with family and friends.

Mrs. Moreau worked at Hamilton’s for 45 years. She was a fixture at the service station and known to greet customers as they walked through the door.

Her father, George Hamilton, opened business in the mid-1940s on Park Avenue near the Portland Ice Arena and Exposition Building.  The landmark station sold gas and provided mechanic services for its customers.

Joanne Hamilton, her sister-in-law, said Tuesday it was a successful business with a great reputation.

“She was very dedicated to the business,” Hamilton said. “She loved the work and loved all the people that came in and out. She was friendly with them.”

Her brother, George Hamilton Jr., took over the service station when their father died in 1985. He ran the business until he died in 2002. The family sold the business a few years ago.

Mrs. Moreau was married to Albert Moreau for 56 years. The couple lived in Falmouth, where they raised two children. Hamilton said they traveled throughout the country with the Holiday Rambler Camping Group.

“They loved the adventure and they loved the people,” Hamilton said. “Lorraine was so much a people person. They had a wonderful time.”

Mrs. Moreau was a devoted member of the West Falmouth Baptist Church.

She was diagnosed with COVID-19 this spring at the Ashton Gardens Gracious Retirement Living community in Portland. She was hospitalized for nearly a month, but recovered, Hamilton said.

She went on to live at the Cedars. Hamilton said she didn’t know anybody there and her family could not visit because of precautions against the virus. Hamilton said her health declined rapidly. She believes the virus contributed to her death.

“It was just horrific. It was horrible. It was just so frustrating,” Hamilton said. “I’ll just miss her company.”