Obituary
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Cheryl Ann Edwards

Date of Death: December 31, 2024

Date of Birth: December 10, 1954

Biography:

Cheryl Ann Durgin Edwards passed away on December 31st, 2024
surrounded by her loved ones at the age of 70, which she had celebrated
earlier in the month.
Cheryl was a mother, sister, grandmother, and best friend who loved with
everything she had. Her love for travel, music, singing, baking, cooking,
family and friends made for many memories made with those that she
loved. In everything she did and everywhere she traveled, she would find
a way to make it about creating a memory. She was always thinking ahead
to make sure her memories were always recorded in pictures, video and
voice recordings, and collecting mementos on all of her adventures. A
favorite shared memory is that she never missed a birthday, often calling
you at 6 am to sing “Happy Birthday” to you.
She worked at Western Maine Transportation for just over 20 years
where she made many friends with coworkers, clients, and her bosses.
She made friends with anyone she struck up a conversation with and her
conversations with her clients would often turn into planning some sort
of trip together. She never wanted anyone to feel alone. With her love of
music and singing, she was also a DJ for 25 years, traveling all over the
state playing shows with her son, Scott Lagasse, who is also a DJ.
On any given day you could find her pulling out a new recipe to try.
Anything she cooked or baked over the years, she would spread out to
coworkers, the community, family and friends. Or, she would ask you to
come up to her drive thru window of sweet treats. She often said that if
she was going to open a restaurant, the menu would be whatever she felt
like making that day.
In her last years, her and her partner, Mark Swearingen, enjoyed road
trips all over New England, concerts of their favorite tribute bands and
exploring new places to eat and shop together. She waited a long time to
find a love like this and she cherished all of the places she was able to see
with him and leave those memories behind.
To her lifelong friends, Denise Gauthier and Beverly Derosier, she was
someone who loved to take many trips near and far to find the best
bakeries, candy shops, craft fairs or general stores with the occasional trip
to Florida, California, New York, Las Vegas, Jamaica, or Bahamas. They
would spend hours talking about life and relationships and everything in
between. Friends before she found her love of music and singing,
convinced her to enter a singing contest where she sang “Stupid Cupid”
and came in second place and feel that’s what led her to her career in
karaoke.
To her siblings she was their rock. She was always there to lend a
sympathetic ear. She would listen to them vent and would give advice,
good, bad, or otherwise. But they knew, if it was coming from her, they
should listen. She loved to visit them when they would live out of state.
Any excuse to take a road trip or vacation. She loved to visit her brother
Bobby in New Hampshire and check out new places to eat and shop. She
loved to visit her brothers Brian and Brad when they would be down in
Florida, watching sunrises and sunsets on the beaches while they talked
about life.
To her grandkids she was a shoulder to cry on, a bounce board of ideas
and struggles and someone you could spend hours and hours talking
about anything and everything with. She shared her love of travel with
them by taking them all on multiple family vacations taking pictures and
videos to give them for their memories.
To her sons she was a gypsy soul, a confidant, a singing partner, a
knowledge of information - why ask google when mom knows everything
- and best friend. There to listen and guide them through their struggles
of life one talk at a time. “I love you forever, your mother I’ll be”.
She was born on December 10, 1954 in Lewiston, Maine. She obtained her
GED at Lewiston Schools. She is predeceased by her parents Jeannine and
Robert Durgin and her younger sister Cathy Durgin. She is survived by her
brothers Brad and wife Connie Durgin, Brian and wife Alison Durgin, and
Bob Durgin, her two sons, Scott and Bill Lagasse, grandchildren Cassiy
and husband Manly Lagasse-Church, Jarod, Mason, and Evan Lagasse,
Teliah Montreuil and her son Easton Scott Tao Montreuil, her life long best
friends Denise Gauthier and Beverly Derosier, and her partner Mark
Swearingen.
Cheryl always made sure she remembered those she loved, especially
those since passed. This was instilled in her from an early childhood
memory of watching Shirley Temple’s “The Blue Bird” where Granny says
“Everytime you think of us, we wake up and see you” and Shirley Temple’s
character says “We thought you were dead?” to which Granny then replies
“Oh dear, only when we’re forgotten.” This was the quote that she lived by
to make sure she celebrated those she thought fondly of and those who
left us. This is why she would put an advertisement in the paper every
year for her mother and father.
While we are saddened by the loss of someone who brought so much love
and light into this world, we will find peace in keeping her close with all of
the memories we each shared with her. Now she can fly high singing and
dancing with the angels, her parents, and her sister, saving us all a mic to
sing some karaoke with her when we get there.
So when we think of her, let’s share our memories with others, laugh and
carry her with us as we create memories of our own with her in our
hearts.
♥ Forever Loved ♥
♥ Forever Cherished ♥
♥ Forever Remembered ♥
We will be celebrating her life at the American Legion located at 71 South
Main Street, New Auburn Maine at 1 pm on January 19th. Come and share
your stories and memories made with Cheryl as we gather to celebrate
the incredible life she lived.
In lieu of flowers, Cheryl spent many years donating to abused women
organizations. In her honour, we ask that that be carried on. A donation
can be made to Safe Voices at the link below
https://safevoices.org/get-involved/donate