LYMAN – Cecile was born at home, Feb. 6, 1931, in Biddeford, to Marie (Pare) (family/from White Mtn. National Forest area, Berlin N.H.) and George Zothique Petrin. She died Nov. 21, 2024.

Cecile enjoyed growing up in her diverse neighborhood on Foss Street with good friends from all ethnicities and backgrounds, spending many summer days at Old Orchard Beach and nights at the pier listening to big bands and dancing. As a child for many summers she enjoyed taking the trolley with her father to visit relatives in Kennebunkport, picking blueberries along the way and bringing them home to her mother. In the winter the neighborhood kids would stand watch at every cross road on Foss Street for cars or horse carriage so others could slide safely down the long hill, trying to make it all the way down to the Pepperal factory on Main Street.

She met her former husband Maurice Dion of Lebanon on a blind date and they were married in 1953. Together they raised a subculture of 10 children while running a multi-faceted business at the corner of Log Cabin Road and Rte 1 in Arundel (where blue Antiques building is today) that included renting seasonal cabins, building a campground and a mobile home park in the beloved town of Arundel, building houses, housing developments (Alwive Route 35, Lyman) and updating (flipping) multiple apartment buildings in surrounding towns of York County.

Her children helped her in a side business of selling bagged Ice to local businesses of that area at that time during the 1960 and 1970s being Dubois Dance Hall, Jerry Rooney’s Arundel Market and The Kennebunkport Playhouse. They encouraged and trusted their children’s help and imput in all aspects of their business, assigning age appropriate paid chores as the kids grew up. This early training established a good work ethic and investing and taught financial responsibility to carry/support each child for life.

They enjoyed attending plays at The Arundel/ Kennebunkport Playhouse together, also taking their children at times to enjoy The Ogunquit Playhouse in the summertime. She loved to read and loved movies and shared her interests in the Classics (movies) with her children. Her down time included bringing the kids regularly to Kennebunk Beach for body surfing and Frisbee, plus going out to eat.

Cecile was an exceptional cook, spending every morning and evening meal at the table, with her family. Sundays were a traditional French meal with table set by her girls with fine China, stemware and the silver. The family also enjoyed staying at their camp on Swan Pond, Lyman, taking turns waterskiing All. Day. Long. All. Week. Long. which became a passioned sport to many of the kids. An honor system of selling golf balls and lemonade kept the younger generations busy for a few decades.

Cecile faced the harshness and challenges of life with resilience and prayer. For years in her retirement, she worked tirelessly having garage sales fundraisers for the NF foundation, (as one great-grandchild had experienced this). She looked forward to her regulars that knew her and it became an important social event for her also. She has spent her days making sure her kids, grandkids, great-grandkids, great-great-grandkids have felt her quiet love, joy and care as the humble person she was. She enjoyed great health and vitality up until the end, and passed peacefully and contented surrounded by her family.

Funeral and burial will be her descendants only. Cecile loved all family and extended family on both Dion and Petrin sides very much.

She was predeceased by her brother, Paul Petrin of New Hampshire, sisters Anita (Francis) Nobert of Sanford, Theresa (Roland) Levassaur of Biddeford; and her godson, Ricky Levasseur of Tampa, Fla.

She is survived by her brother Don Petrin and his wife Brenda of New Hampshire. Cecile was godmother to nephew Michael Guillemette of Lyman, nieces Mary Ellen Manning of Boston, and Mary Ann Benedict (Laflamme) of Lyman. Cecile’s children from oldest to youngest, Michael (Elaine) Dion of Boston, Jeanne (Mark) Nielsen of Lyman, Robert, Bob (Cindy-Campbell- Novakowski) Dion of Arundel, Kennebunkport, and Indian Town, Fla, Denise at peninsula of Biddeford Pool, Diane (Kennedy) Meepradit of Bangkok Thailand and Kennebunk, Arlene (Michael) Borg of Purcellville Va., Janice (Carmine) Russo of upstate New York, Ron (Holly) Dion, Lyman, Cathy (David) Cyr of Newnan, Ga., Gayle (Mike Trottier) of Hollis; 22 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; five great-great-grandchildren.

Private service for her descendants only, which is an army within itself. She appreciated her Arundel neighbors and extended community whom she met through the early days at Arundel Consolidated School from the MOTHERS CLUB (1964 – 1995); she never forgot their kindness.

Cecile and her family at the time were members of St. Martha’s Roman Catholic Church in Kennebunkport, St Monica’s Roman Catholic Church in Kennebunk, then St. Phillips Roman Catholic Church when she settled in lyman in her retirement. She traveled through out her life and had opportunities to travel the globe because that’s where her decendants lived or worked, but chose to explore the United States, that is where she felt safest.

She is deeply loved and deeply treasured and will be deeply missed. She will continue to be an inspiration to all her descendants.