Constance L. Brooks

BANGOR and BUCKSPORT - Constance L. Brooks, 86, died March 15, 2009, at a Bangor nursing center. She was born July 27, 1922, in Penobscot, the daughter of Brainard H. and Vera (Dunbar) Leach. Constance graduated from Penobscot High School and attended Beals Business College. She worked as a secretary for St. Regis Paper, Bucksport and for Bangor & Aroostook Railroad. She later worked as the secretary to the commander of Dow Air Force Base. She and her husband were the owners of Byron H. Smith & Co., a wholesaler of health and beauty aids. A lifelong lover of music and dance, Constance played the piano "by ear" and taught dance at the famed Arthur Murray dance school in Boston. Constance was a member and supporter of Maine Right to Life. She was a dedicated homemaker who was devoted to her family. She enjoyed her home and loved to cook. Surviving are two daughters, Linda Smith Horton and her husband, George, of Bangor, and Marjorie Smith Bose and her husband, Ronald, of Lantana, Texas; four grandchildren, Kelly Buckley Scimone of Beverly, Mass., Phillip D. Buckley Jr. of Philadelphia, Lindsey and Kendall Bose of Lantana, Texas; four great-grandchildren, Jeffrey, Ryan and Eleanor Scimone, and Alexander Paul Buckley; and two nieces, Earlene Winchester of Bucksport and Vera-Ellen Young of Calais. She was predeceased by her husbands; an infant son, Leonard W. Smith Jr.; one brother, Harold Leach; and one sister, Lila (Leach) Eaton. Constance's family thanks the staff at Westgate Manor nursing home for their exceptional care and kindness during her illness. The family also thanks the owners and staff at Grandview House, where she was a resident prior to her stay at Westgate. Family and friends may visit 5-7 p.m. Thursday, March 19, at Kiley & Foley Funeral Service, 299 Union St., Bangor. A private graveside service will be held at a later date at Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Hermon. For those who wish, memorial contributions may be made to Maine Right to Life, P.O. Box 257, Auburn, ME 04212-0257 or at www.mainerighttolife.com. Condolences may be offered at www.kileyandfoley.com.