Felicita M. (Forster) Cole

CAPE ELIZABETH – Felicita, the daughter of Stefan and Rosa Forster, and sister to Stephanie Forster (her guiding light), was born on Dec. 3, 1930, in Munich, Germany, and passed away peacefully, with her daughter Stefanie and granddaughter Ashley by her side, on Oct. 20, 2025. We had so many things to thank her for and we know that she heard us until the very end as we wiped away two tears from her eyes just prior to her passing.

Felicita was the daughter of a Fire Chief in Munich and a loving mother who provided comfort and peace to her children during WWII. Felicita was six years younger than her sister, Stephanie, but the two were inseparable when they went skiing in the Alps (she absolutely loved the mountains!), swimming in the Isar River, dancing the jitterbug, or ice-skate dancing.

Felicita heard so many wonderful things about the United States and she ventured out on her own to see what the world might hold for her ultimately residing in South Portland. She fell in love and had me, her only child, Stefanie. I was so proud to have my wonderful mother walk me down the aisle at my wedding to David LaRose. She was later blessed with two beautiful grandchildren Ashley LaRose and her husband Rob Tracy and Stefan LaRose and his wife Cassie and then two great grandchildren, McKenzie and Cameron, all of whom treasured spending time with her and bouncing on her knees to traditional German children’s songs.

Felicita was so very proud of her heritage and made sure we all had personal experiences in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy. With at least annual pilgrimages to Germany, we experienced and enjoyed Oktoberfest as this was by far her favorite annual event!

Felicita was welcoming, when I was growing up my friends who came over to our house, were always met with an offering of something sweet to eat. She was the biggest cheerleader for those she cared about, encouraging them to achieve what she knew they could accomplish.

Felicita was a “fashionista” before the term was officially coined. She was always dressed to perfection with a class and style that set her apart with a flare. It was rare to see her not dressed to the nines with polka dots, her pearls and, of course, her red lipstick. She loved working at Porteous, Jordan Marsh/Macy’s in the dress departments and had so many loyal followers that it was not uncommon for us to cross paths with some of her customers in airports domestically and abroad that would eagerly embrace her and thank her for her style support.

Felicita spoke daily of swimming (still participating in water aerobics classes well into her 80’s) and gymnastics. Every doctor or nurse who met and examined her was met with the same question to prove her well-being… “Would you like me to do a handstand?” Inevitably, there were lots of smiles when people met my mom.

Please join us on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, for a graveside service at 1:00 p.m. at Highland Memorial Cemetery in South Portland. A celebration of life will follow at 1:30 p.m. at Purpoodock Club where we will raise a glass and send her off with a “Prosit Felicita.”