Coco, Carolyn, 79, Bangor and Brewer, at Bangor, December 23, 2009. Arrangements are in the care of the Brookings-Smith Funeral Home, Bangor.
BANGOR and BREWER – Carolyn A. (Harmon) Coco, 79, died Dec. 23, 2009, at a Bangor hospital. She was born Feb. 20, 1930, in Caribou, the daughter of Perley F. and Ella F. (Albert) Harmon.
Carolyn graduated from Caribou High School and from the University of Maine, Class of 1952, with a degree in home economics. In 1953, she completed a 12-month internship in hospital dietetics at St. Mary's Hospital, affiliated with Mayo Clinic, Rochester, N.Y. Later, she received a master's degree in library science from the University of Maine, Orono. During World War II, while in high school, she won a trip to Washington, D.C., for her record sales of U.S. War Bonds in the state of Maine. She was presented a certificate of achievement by the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury for her outstanding performance. Having grown up on a potato farm in Perham she developed a strong work ethic that guided her throughout her life. In childhood, she enjoyed horseback riding and was very active in the 4-H Club, Caribou, and won an award that sent her to St. Louis as a guest of Ralston-Purina Co. Carolyn was an excellent seamstress, loved to cook, and enjoyed picking berries and doing library research for others. She was a member of St. John's Catholic Church, Bangor. She was active for many years with Chi Omega sorority and was a trustee for Brewer Public Library. Carolyn worked as a librarian for Fifth Street Junior High School, Bangor, for five years; Stearns High School for 15 years; and was the health science librarian at St. Joseph Hospital for 18 years. She was also a consulting dietician for several area nursing homes throughout the years.
She is survived by her loving husband of 53 years, Salvatore Coco of Brewer; two sons, John Coco, M.D., of Clarendon, Vt., and David Coco and wife, Tiziana, of Berlin; three grandchildren, Andrew, Betsy and Eleonora; siblings, Ann Driesen of Hamilton, Mass., Thomas Harmon of Caribou, and a twin sister, Marilyn Saydah of Rivervale, N.J.; and many friends. In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by three brothers, James, Richard and Harry. The family thanks the medical and nursing staff of St. Joseph Hospital for the excellent care she received at the end of her life.
Friends called 6-8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 27, at Brookings-Smith, 133 Center St., Bangor. A Mass of Christian burial was celebrated 3 p.m. Monday, Dec. 28, at St. Paul the Apostle Parish, St. John's Catholic Church, 207 York St., Bangor. Gifts in her memory may be made to St. Joseph Healthcare, P.O. Box 1638, Bangor, ME 04402 or Bangor Public Library, 145 Harlow St., Bangor, ME 04401. Condolences to the family may be expressed at www.BrookingsSmith.com.
