SACO – Christina (Tina) Countryman, 59, of Saco Maine passed peacefully on January 28th, 2015 surrounded by loved ones at the Gosnell Memorial Hospice House in Scarborough.
She was born August 30th, 1955 in Dover, New Hampshire to Albert Wayne and Lorena Angela Countryman née Corain. She graduated from Somersworth High School in 1973, attended Garber Travel School and earned an Associate’s Degree from Husson College. She later settled into a career in the insurance industry, where her patient and caring nature enabled her to help others navigate the world of personal insurance.
She was a devoted mother and wife, forever giving more to others than she took for herself. She was happiest with her family, and preferred preparing spaghetti, sausage and her award-winning meatballs to dining out at a restaurant. Anyone invited to Tina’s for dinner could expect at least two desert choices and to depart with a bag full of delicious leftovers.
She returned to York Beach, ME many times over the years. As a teenager she worked there in the summer; later in life she would return with her family to share her appreciation for the sun, surf and sand. It was also a refuge for her in the off-season, a place she could find peace and solitude even during the most difficult times of her life. She enjoyed crafts, particularly crocheting heirloom Afghans and quilts which she often gifted to friends and family members. She was also an enthusiastic genealogist, travelling as far as Italy to research her family’s history.
She is survived by her mother Lorena; her husband of 33-years Roland Belair; her son Nicholas Belair and his wife Michaela; Roland’s three children and their spouses: Kelly and Robert Hermann, Scott and Leigh Belair, and Tracy and Michael Gaito; eight grandchildren and one great grandchild; her brother Wayne Countryman and four sisters Cheryl Russell, Carmella Countryman Dube, Wanda Gagnon and Marla Earl as well as their spouses, children and grandchildren; and her two beloved cats Josephine and Stella.
Arrangements are with Chad E. Poitras Cremation and Funeral Service, Long Plains Road, Buxton, online condolences messages can be submitted at www.mainefuneral.com