She was the matriarch of a large Italian-American clan.
Melanie Creamer
Melanie Creamer is a news assistant, who's worked at the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram for nearly 16 years. She oversees various responsibilities from monitoring the news and business email addresses – to fetching old newspaper articles and photos from the archive.
She’s the face behind the popular business “On the Move” column, which appears in Tuesdays and Thursdays newspapers.
A compassionate and soft-spoken woman, Melanie is also the writer of the newspaper’s feature obituary. Many of her colleagues say she has one of the toughest jobs in the newsroom. She tells heart-breaking stories of love and loss. She listens as parents sob uncontrollably over the tragic death of their child. She writes touching stories about couples who have been married for 60 plus years, and then die within days or weeks from each other.
Melanie was the recipient of the Maine Press Association’s Unsung Hero Award in 2015.
A native of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, she graduated from Fitchburg State College in 2000 with a degree in professional writing. She lives in Scarborough with her fiancée and is a co-parent to two daughters.
Feature obituary: Donald Dutil Jr., 68, popular music teacher for MSAD 55
Mr. Dutil, the district’s band leader, inspired a love of music in his students.
Feature obituary: Michael Hayer, 63, longtime bus driver for Portland Metro
Mr. Hayer was active in the Masons and Kora Shriners.
Feature obituary: Robert Williams, 69, retired lieutenant at South Portland Fire Department
The father of three also volunteered with the Cape Elizabeth Fire Department.
Feature obituary: Arnold Morrison, 86, dairy farmer, active member of New Gloucester Bible Church
Mr. Morrison died Wednesday at age 86.
Feature obituary: Roger Laprise, 68, Sanford police sergeant, baseball standout
Roger Laprise, who also coached many youth teams, is a member of the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame.
Feature obituary: Daniel Pelotte, 64, worked at Skowhegan paper mill, identical twin
The brothers were born 30 minutes apart in Waterville. They dressed the same, ate the same types of foods and once lived less than 60 feet from each other.
Feature obituary: Linda Welch, 56, compassionate nurse, loving mother
She inspired other through her lengthy fight against diabetes.
Feature obituary: Henry Bucci, fought Parkinson’s disease for over 30 years, volunteered in community
Mr. Bucci dedicated his life to family and community. His wife, Diane Bucci, said he was determined not to let his Parkinson’s beat him.
Feature obituary: Amanda Dempsey, ‘icon of hope’ for Maine cancer patients, dies at 79
Amanda Dempsey’s long fight with cancer inspired her actor son to found The Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope & Healing in Lewiston.