Blanche L. "Bebe" Goodwin

BLANCHE "BEBE" GOODWIN
CAMDEN.Blanche "Bebe" Leonard Goodwin, 91, went to be with her beloved husband, Orman "Sonny" Goodwin, on April 29, 2025. Born in December 1933 to Chester and Lillian Leonard, she lived her whole life in Camden.
Sonny and Bebe were one of seven married couples from their Camden High School Class of 1951. This very close-knit class of about 55 classmates met monthly for lunch together for m and for many years, had lunch together once a month. When they turned 80 years old, Bebe helped organize a class birthday party for everyone at the Samoset Resort. She was one of three classmates remaining.
Bebe was very proud to be the co-captain of her high school basketball team. That team went on to play 88 consecutive games without a loss and was inducted into the Mid-Coast Sports Hall of Fame.
Sonny and Bebe married in 1953 and began building the 'Practice House' on Thomas Street. As a contractor, every time Sonny had a new idea about building, he practiced his idea on this house. It was an ongoing construction site the entire 20 years they lived there. Bebe did all the cleanup, painting and decorating, which she was very good at.
They had two daughters, Jill and Jan. Bebe was the best mom; funny and sweet. She had a great sense of humor. A good cook, although she didn't enjoy cooking, Bebe was also talented in crafts, sewing and knitting; making amazingly tiny clothes for the girl's dolls. She sewed most of Jill and Jan's clothes, making them some of the best dressed girls at school. In addition, Bebe braided rugs, wallpapered, mowed the lawn and weeded all the gardens Sonny liked to plant.
Sonny and Bebe were the organizers of the Snow Bowl breakfasts that were extremely popular in the 1970's. Both were part of the Camden Outing Club that ran and built the Snow Bowl into what it is today.
For many years. Bebe volunteered as a hostess at the Camden-Rockport Historical Society's Conway House. She loved history, (excluding war history), especially local history.
In 1974, they moved to Molyneaux Road, where she transformed the large field full or rocks and alders. She worked for years, cutting alders and hauling out rocks to create a huge lawn which was always immaculately mowed and weed whacked. Spring wasn't official until Bebe mowed the lawn for the first time.
Bebe was an amazing gardener and worked tirelessly in her beautiful gardens. Any brave weeds were immediately pulled while fall leaves were quickly gathered and taken away before they could accumulate. She walked miles every day around Molyneaux, East Fork and Melvin Heights roads. No one in the family would walk with her to keep up with her fast pace. She had things she wanted to do and no time to dawdle.
Bebe is survived by her daughters, Jill Goodwin of Belfast and Jan (Peter) Warren of Camden; her two grandsons, Lee (Sue) Warren of Orono and Devin Warren of Camden. She also leaves a sister, Mary (Gary) Bruce of North Carolina, along with several nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her husband, Sonny; her parents, step mother and siblings; Frances Schwartz, Maurice Leonard, Richard "Dickey" Leonard and Sena Leonard.
The family wants to thank her wonderful caregivers; Tiffany, Trudy, Jocelyn, Gail, Mickayla and Ingrid for taking good care of Bebe over the last two years.
A graveside service will be at the Mt View Cemetery in Camden, May 23,2025, Friday at 1:00pm.
Memorial gifts may be made to the Camden Public Library, 55 Main St., Camden, ME 04843; or to the Camden High School Alumni Scholarship Fund, c/o Elaine Davis, 13 Limerock St., Camden, ME 04843.
Condolences and memories may be shared at www.longfuneralhomecamden.com. Arrangements are with the Long Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 9 Mountain Street, Camden.