Remembering Latin teacher, Marjorie Coffin

On Oct. 16th, the Houlton community lost a wonderful resident and former teacher. Marjorie Coffin taught Latin at Houlton High School from the mid-1950s to ‘73. She passed away at Madigan Estates Nursing Home at the age of 102.
As the old saying goes, “Where does the time go?” It was just 10 years ago, almost to the day since I sat down to interview Mrs. Coffin for the Houlton High School Alumni newsletter. It was a beautiful fall day and she was just as bubbly as ever. Sometimes it was hard to stay on track and focus on her life and the reason I was there. She was so excited to have company. She wanted to know who I knew that she knew and what they were doing; especially former colleagues that she had lost touch with. My assignment was to find out what this 92-year-old and my former teacher was doing with her time.
I found out that she was still driving her car, attending exercise class three times a week and she was looking forward to attending her 70th Class Reunion at Brown University in 2003, which she did.
To recap her life, Mrs. Coffin was born in Springvale. She was the daughter of a minister and spent most of her childhood years in Dover-Foxcroft. Her family moved to North Haven Island her senior year. After high school, she enrolled in Pembroke College, the women’s division of Brown University in Providence, R.I., graduating in 1933 with a teaching degree.
Her first job was in the Washington County town of Woodland. She taught both Latin and French and earned $1,000 for the school year. It was there that she met her husband, J. Rodney Coffin from Ashland. Following their marriage, they both taught at Higgins Classical Institute in Charleston and in 1942 welcomed their first son, Jack.
World War II took Mr. Coffin to Europe for two tours of duty. While serving our country, Mrs. Coffin and Jack moved to Ashland to stay with her husband’s parents.
After the war, they moved to Bangor where Mr. Coffin worked as an insurance adjuster. While in Bangor, their second son, Jim was born.
Mr. Coffin’s job brought them to Houlton and eventually he left his insurance career to return to teaching.
He taught both physics and chemistry at Houlton High School and later became principal. Mrs. Coffin taught at the high school from the mid-50s to 1973.
Just a year later, Mr. Coffin passed away.
She was an active life-long member of the Houlton Congregational Church and a member of the Order of Eastern Star. She participated in Houlton Community Chorus and was a member of the Houlton Women’s Club and Houlton Garden Club.
She was predeceased by her eldest son, Jack, in 1999 and is survived by her son, Jim of Hudson, Mass. and Jack’s three children.
Mrs. Coffin remained independent and lived in her home until just a year or so ago when she needed more assistance. Her son, Jim visited her often and was able to bring her back to her home to celebrate her most recent birthday in September. I am sure it was one of the best presents ever.