Name/Title
Tole Painting Design | Rebecca Hill Talbot | East Machias, MaineDescription
REBECCA HILL TALBOT
From Bangor Daily News (online)
by Opinion Contributor
September 25, 2008
EAST MACHIAS – Rebecca Hill Talbot, 84, of East Machias, died April 23, 2005, in Machias, after a short illness. She was born June 7, 1920, in Machias, the daughter of Warren M. and Grace (Morrison) Hill. Following her graduation from Machias High School, she attended Wheaton College and graduated from the University of Maine in 1942. Later that year, Rebecca married William B. Talbot of East Machias, and she and Bill traveled throughout the south as Bill underwent Army training. When Bill was deployed to the European Theater, she returned to Machias, where she began teaching at Machias High School. Following her joyful reunion with Bill at war’s end, Rebecca moved to East Machias and raised her two sons. When her boys were in college, she resumed her career as an English teacher at Washington Academy. Countless students will attest that her standards were uncompromising, but her patience, humor and love of literature inspired them to meet those standards. Many will recall with laughter her sense of play and adventure with her friend, Mollie Beam on the French club trips to Quebec City. Following her retirement, she indulged her passion to locate and identify the smallest flowers, ferns and lichen at her much loved Camp Polypody at Hadley Lake and traveled to Greece and Germany with Bill. Their most touching moments came during their visit to the Dachau death-camp, which Bill had helped liberate in the spring of 1945. She also became active in the Center for Lifelong Learning Capital Campaign at the University of Maine at Machias and she returned to the church of her childhood, the Centre Street Congregational Church, to spearhead the memorial fund for the new north wing and wheelchair access. Rebecca is survived by one son, William B. Talbot Jr. and his wife, Nancy, and their two children, Ally and Matt Talbot, all of East Machias; a daughter-in-law, Shelagh Talbot and her friend, Bob Miller, of Guilford; a granddaughter, Jessica Talbot of Machias; one sister, Virginia Brehmer and her husband, Thor, of West Chester, Pa.; a niece, Anne Richards; and two nephews, Donald and Philip Brehmer. She was predeceased by her husband, William B. Talbot in 2002; and a son, James R. Talbot III in 1978. A private committal service will be held at the Village Cemetery, East Machias, with the Rev. Gini King officiating. A reception to celebrate Rebecca’s life will follow at 2:45 p.m. Friday, April 29, at the Centre Street Congregational Church, Machias, all are welcome. The family request those who wish may contribute to the Memorial Fund of the Centre Street Congregational Church, care of Valarie Preston, P.O. Box 265, Machias, ME 04654.