Marie Clothilde Devine

DEVINE, Marie Clothilde (Fleece) 61, of Feather Sound and a part time resident of York, ME, died May 29, 2009, at her residence after a courageous battle against a rare form of ovarian cancer. She was born on April 15, 1948 in Boston, MA, the daughter of J. Murray Devine and Clothilde Devine. An attorney at law she descended from and was part of an illustrious family of lawyers. Her grandfather, Maurice Devine, was a founding partner of Devine Millimet in Manchester, NH. one of New Hampshire's older and larger law firms. Her father, J. Murray Devine, Esq., was the chairman of the Democrat Party of NH at the time that John F. Kennedy ran for and became President. Her uncle, Shane Devine, became the Senior U.S. District Judge in NH. Her brother, Kevin Devine, Esq. had his own firm in Manchester for many years and is now practicing in Portsmouth, NH. Her cousin Cassie Devine (Kerrigan) is a prosecutor. She grew up in Manchester, NH. Following graduation from Central High School she attended Wheelock College in Boston before receiving her Bachelor of Arts from Notre Dame College in Manchester in 1982. She received her Juris Doctor degree in 1985 from the Franklin Pierce Law Center, Concord, NH. From 1980-1982 she was the Supervisor of all direct services to battered women and rape victims at the Women's Crisis Service in Manchester. From 1983-1984 she was a member of the Admissions Committee at Franklin Pierce and in 1985 became a teaching assistant for a course in Estates, Trusts, Wills, Gifts, and their Federal Taxation. From 1985-1987 she engaged in private practice in Concord, NH practicing mainly in the areas of real estate and family law. In 1987 she became a member of the Florida Bar and practiced in Ft. Myers into 1992 ultimately becoming a shareholder in a family law practice with Alan J. Rubenstein under the name of Rubenstein and Devine. During her time in Ft. Myers she co-authored Volume 6, "Domestic Relations," Florida Legal Forms; "Recent Decisions," Family Law Commentator published by the Family Law Section of the Florida Bar; and "Date of Valuation Under the New Equitable Distribution Statute, Florida Family Law Reporter, February 1989. Her memberships included the Florida Bar Association and its Family Law Section and the Legal Needs of Children Committee of that section. She also held membership in the New Hampshire Bar Association, a former member of the American Bar Association and its Family Law Section, and was a certified mediator and a former member of the Florida Association of Professional Family Mediators. She is survived by her husband, Attorney and former State Representative, William H. Fleece, Clearwater; her son Christopher Parfitt and his wife Cynthia (Cindy), Union City, NJ; her stepson Jonathan Fleece of St. Petersburg and his two sons, Benjamin and Jacob, her stepson David Fleece, M.D. and his wife, Jane Kauer, PhD and their daughter Clio Kauer Fleece of Philadelphia, PA; her sister Elizabeth (Betsy) Devine Wilczek and her husband, Nobel Laureate, Frank Wilczek, of Cambridge, MA, the recipient of the 2004 Nobel Prize in Physics and her nieces, Amity Wilczek, PhD and Mira Wilczek. She is further survived by her brother Kevin Devine, Esq. of Hampton, NH and her nephews, Sean Devine and Quincy Devine; five cousins: Cassie Devine Kerrigan, Esq. and her husband, Tim; Suzie Devine (Shirmer) and her husband, Andy; Jeannie Devine (Chisolm) and her husband, Philip; Danny Devine and his wife Sue Ann; and Dennis Devine; and her former stepdaughter, Angela McKinnon. She was preceded in death by her mother and father and her brother, Mark Devine. On April 17th she was preceded in death by "Dreama," her and her husband's Bichon Frise and beloved companion. She was a private person with a unique presence, passionately interested in causes and policies that would benefit American society. She loved to ski, travel, garden, and cook remarkable food. Her ability to see and coordinate color and decorate was superb. The essence of her life can best be summarized by a quotation from "Living a Life that Matters." It says "What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave. What will matter is not your success, but your significance. What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught. What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you're gone ... what will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what." She lived a life that mattered and will be missed and remembered by many people. Her desire is that there only be a Celebration of Life in York, ME. This will be on June 22, 2009 at the Dockside Restaurant on York Harbor. It will be led by a close family friend, Rabbi Lev Baesh of Lexington, MA. Please make any memorial contributions to The Hospice of the Florida Suncoast, 5771 Roosevelt Blvd., Clearwater, FL 33760 or to a cause or charity of your choice.