HARPSWELL — On the western shore of Harpswell Neck, Priscilla W. Manter was often found working in her flower garden. In the distance on a clear day, she could see the outline of Mount Washington. She could smell the salty ocean air and hear the bustle of fishermen returning to Wilson Cove. “Every day she […]
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.
Posted inNews
Feature obituary: Morrell York, 69, respected founder of Independent Death Care
PORTLAND — Funeral directors across southern Maine expressed shock and sadness this week after the death of one of their own. Morrell York, who founded Independent Death Care of Maine and dedicated his life to comforting grieving families, died Wednesday following a briew illness. He was 69. Mr. York received his funeral director’s license in […]
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Feature Obituary: Allen Westberry Sr., 70, longtime Cape Elizabeth police officer
CAPE ELIZABETH – Close to 100 people are expected to gather Friday to celebrate and honor Allen Westberry Sr., a retired longtime police officer who died unexpectedly on Monday. He was 70. Mr. Westberry joined the Cape Elizabeth Police Department in 1975 and worked as a patrolman for 31 years. Police Chief Neil Williams said […]
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Feature Obituary: Gertrude Fielding, 87, loving wife, business partner and avid flier
RAYMOND — Gertrude Fielding, who was a bookkeeper for Fielding’s Service Station in Scarborough and had a passion for flying, died on Monday. She was 87. She and her husband, William Fielding, operated the popular service station on Route 1 for nearly 40 years. She was his bookkeeper and often ran errands to pick up […]
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Feature Obituary: Steven Register, 54, business owner, sailor, lived a life of service
YARMOUTH — Steven Register, president of a Portland printing company and an active member of the community, died Tuesday at age 54. Mr. Register entered the printing industry in the late 1970s, working for Pitney Bowes, Maine Printing and Deep River Production. In 2002 he founded his own print and design company, East Shore Studio […]
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Feature Obituary: Muriel Zachary, 93, artist, social activist, devoted mom
KENNEBUNK — Muriel Zachary, an artist and an active member of the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church who stood up for social justice causes, died Feb. 20. She was 93. Mrs. Zachary had a lifelong passion for art. She painted in oils, acrylics and watercolors and studied etching, lithography and mono-printing. She showed and sold […]
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Feature Obituary: Mary Murphy, 92, devoted homemaker, volunteer
SOUTH PORTLAND – Mary Murphy was born in 1918, when the Boston Red Sox won the World Series. That championship was followed by 85 long and frustrating seasons for Mrs. Murphy and the rest of Red Sox Nation. In 2004, she finally saw her beloved team win the World Series. Jeanne Feeney of South Portland, […]
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Shoptalk: Nice touch for specialist in skin care
Jessica Harrison, an aesthetician at Amore Skin Care in Portland, is one of the first practicing oncology aestheticians in the state. She offers a wide range of services such as waxing, facials and chemical peels. She recently began offering services for individuals undergoing cancer treatment. Oncology aesthetics use gentle products, free of preservatives, perfumes and […]
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Feature obituary: Donald Erickson, 80, project engineer, humorist, good man
CAPE ELIZABETH – Family members and friends will gather at the Hobbs Funeral Home in South Portland today to celebrate and honor Donald Erickson, a well-respected businessman who died Tuesday. He was 80. Mr. Erickson joined H.B. Fleming Inc. in South Portland shortly after his father, Ray Erickson, and Howard Fleming founded the company in […]
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Feature Obituary: Bob Mathews, 78, ran Botto’s Bakery for more than 50 years
PORTLAND – Bob Mathews, who owned Botto’s Bakery and was known for his infectious smile and positive outlook on life, died Wednesday. He was 78. Mr. Mathews was a fixture at Botto’s Bakery for more than 50 years. He managed the bakery on Washington Avenue for 25 years, then bought the business in 1982. Soon […]