Obituary: Carol Ann LaBossiere

OXFORD – Carol was born in Lewiston, the daughter of Edna Alice Erickson and Eric Erickson of South Paris. Carol graduated from Oxford Hills High School in 1965. During her high school years Carol worked as a waitress in Goodwin Dairy Bar in South Paris. She then attended Burdette College in Boston, and worked at Goodwin’s Insurance in Norway, and later for Prudential Insurance in Lewiston. She married Larry LaBossiere, the son of William Joseph LaBossiere and Bertha Marie LaBossiere of Norway, on June 8, 1968, in the Trinty Lutheran Church in South Paris. They have two children, Larry II of San Diego, Calif. and Ericka Bishop of Swansboro, N.C., and Larry’s daughter, Michelle Hovorka of Omaha, Neb. Larry rejoined the Army in 1969; Carol and his children followed him around various military assignments mostly between Germany and the Washington, D.C. area for 20 years. During Larry’s assignment for his last nine-and-a-half years of active duty at the Hoffman Building in Alexandria, Va., Carol continued working for Hartford Insurance. After Larry’s retirement from the Army, Carol continued working for an additional 18 years at Hartford Insurance, until her retirement in 2002. In 2002, Carol and Larry returned to Oxford and built a log cabin home on Green Pond. Carol donated generously of her time and served as president of Finnish American Heritage group in West Paris, she was a volunteer at the Maine’s Veteran’s Home in South Paris, president of the Trinty Lutheran Church in South Paris, and treasurer of the Twin Town Nature Club in Norway. Carol loved spending time with her grandchildren and children in California and North Carolina and their visits to Green Pond. Travel was another major passion, and she and Larry were blessed to travel much of the world for extended vacation time in Africa, Southeast Asia, China, Russia, Finland, Norway, Ireland, Wales, Egypt, most all of Europe and all 50 U.S. states. Carol loved hiking wherever they traveled, too. She was still hiking two miles on most days up until her recent passing. Carol is survived by her husband, Larry LaBossiere of Oxford; and one remaining sister, Viola Frechette of New Smyrna Beach, Fla. She had a brother, Glendon Erickson and sister, Janice Spiller, who predeceased her. There will be a celebration of life service for her at the South Paris Trinity Lutheran Church on July 18, at 11:30 a.m., which is her birthday, and will be open to all. A reception will be held after the service at TL Barn of West Paris, which is by invite only. In lieu of flowers, Carol’s final wishes were for donations to be made to help support early lung cancer detection. This new program has already saved over a dozen lives. Donations can be made at the following link: https://host.nxt.blackbaud.com/adaptive-donor-form?formId=d3b11312-d663-4f96-a888-4d7088acb156&envid=p- Ql3J93ePiUKUEeXfBySKHA&zone=usa