CORNISH- Ellen (Tenney) Tims, passed away peacefully at home on June 29, 2023. She was born in Boston in 1945. She graduated from Stonehill College and graduate school at Boston College.

In 1968, she was scheduled to go to Hawaii to teach public school for a year. Prior to leaving, she met a young US Navy sailor at The 99 Restaurant in Boston. He was to go underway in a submarine near Iceland. She left for Hawaii. They came back to Boston together in the winter and became engaged. She married Robert Tims and their marriage lasted for another 55 years.

When she was a teenager she contracted polio and had curvature of the spine. She was told that she would be bedridden and likely never have children. She found a paperback on yoga and it changed her life. She went on to lead a full life and have 3 children.

She worked in many different jobs and loved teaching. She worked for the Maine Department of Health and Human Services as a social worker for 20 years. Her last job was as a substitute teacher for SAD 55 where her kids and grandkids went to school.

She loved history and true-crime stories. She wrote many drafts of “the great American novel”, but never published. She always enjoyed the NYT crossword puzzle.

She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Robert Tims Sr of Cornish, her daughter, Honey and Todd Puterbaugh of Barrington NH and her sons, Robert Tims Jr and Colleen of Cornish, ME and Hugh Tims and Isaac Hilyard of Portland, ME.

She lost her sister Nancy Dobens of Nashua, NH in 1995. She is survived by her sisters Kay Shaughnessy of Barnstable, MA, Dorothy Tenney of Hyannis, MA, Carrie Matheson of Falmouth, MA and brother, Charles Tenney of Sandwich, MA.

Ellen was especially proud of her four grand-children: Nick Puterbaugh, Software Engineer in Brighton MA, Ryan Puterbaugh, PHD at Brown University, Katie Tims, Associate with the Office of Sustainability, City of Portland, ME and Petty Officer Seamus Tims, US Navy, Pacific Fleet.

Visiting hours will be held on Saturday July 8th from 1 - 3 PM at the Poitras, Neal & York Funeral Home, 71 Maple St., Cornish. Online condolence message scan be submitted at the funeral home website, www.mainefuneral.com

Ellen was an avid reader and lover of books. In lieu of flowers, Ellen would like that donations be made to the Bonney Memorial Library, PO Box 857, Cornish ME, 04020.

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