Florence Drake Damon, 93, of Kennebunk, passed away on Jan. 28, 2023, with her two daughters by her side. She will be remembered with great love.

Florence’s greatest joy was her family. She loved being a mother and provided her daughters a rich and happy childhood with summers at Kennebunk Beach, nature expeditions, educational trips and lots of love and support throughout their lives. She was a devoted and loving partner to Ted, her husband of 64 years. They shared a wonderful life together that included raising their daughters, a commitment to community, artistic and educational pursuits, and European travel.

She was thoughtful and gave her love generously. Her warm and gracious presence and sense of fun made her a beloved friend. Her Needles and Knots group, fellow painters, garden club members, her childhood friend Joanie, and many other dear friends brought her great joy.

Florence was an excellent cook, and all her meals were packed with love. The soup pot was always on the stove ready to soothe both body and soul. She entertained generously in her beautiful home. She was talented across many creative disciplines including crewelwork, needlepoint, decoupage, and painting. She enjoyed playing the piano as part of her love of music. She became an accomplished painter in her 80s, participating and selling her work in local shows with her fellow painters from The Center in Kennebunk.

Florence’s creativity was often inspired by her love of nature. Her beautiful perennial garden was one of her great works of art. Her entrepreneurial spirit led her to open a gift store in Kennebunkport that featured some of her own artistic designs. She had an inquisitive nature, and her mind was vibrant and sharp.

She was born in Albany, New York, on May 7, 1929, the daughter of the late Charles L. Drake and Emily (Aspinall) Drake. Her early life was spent in the Albany area. After marrying Ted, she made homes in Buffalo, New Rochelle, and Loudonville, New York, and Greenwich, Connecticut, where they lived happily for 35 years before retiring to Kennebunk Beach.

After attending Albany Academy for Girls, Florence graduated from Wellesley College and later earned her teaching certificate at Columbia University and began her teaching career with elementary school students. A strong interest in community service led her to complete a master’s degree in counseling from Bridgeport University. She had a successful career in the field of social work, serving clients in southern Connecticut. A significant accomplishment was the Interfaith Caregivers Program she created that trained counselors and organized churches and neighborhood coalitions to serve at-risk elderly populations.

Throughout her life, Florence was dedicated to helping enrich her community. She worked with many nonprofits, including serving as board member and vice president of Greenwich Community Housing, board member of the Greenwich Commission on Aging, chairperson for the Greenwich Health Care Task Force, Deacon and member of the Outreach Committee of the First Presbyterian Church, board member and program chairman of Round Hill Community Guild, and volunteer for the Greenwich Hospital.

After moving to Kennebunk, she was an active member of the Church on the Cape and served as volunteer and board member of The Center in Kennebunk. She was a dedicated member of the Seacoast Garden Club for 24 years and enjoyed leading a group that planted and maintained the flower boxes at The Center.

She was a lovely, kind, nurturing, and compassionate person who will be so greatly missed. She is survived by her daughters, Elizabeth Damon Armstrong and her husband, Thomas M. Armstrong, Jr.; and Leslie D. Damon and her husband, Richard S. Noone, all of Yarmouth, Maine; her granddaughter, Alexandra Armstrong, of Pownal, Maine; and many nieces and nephews. She was pre-deceased by her husband, Ted Damon, and sister, Arlene D. Dickinson of Kennebunk.

A celebration of Florence’s life will be held at the Church on the Cape on May 20 at 2 p.m.

Memorial contributions may be made to The Center, 175 Port Road, Kennebunk, ME 04043, or to The Church on the Cape, P.O. Box 2740, Kennebunkport, ME 04046. To leave a message of condolence, please visit Florence’s Book of Memories at www.bibberfuneral.com.

Arrangements are entrusted to Bibber Memorial Chapel, 67 Summer St., Kennebunk.