NORTH HAVEN — Gertrude Margaret Foltz, 87, passed away peacefully, with her loving husband by her side, on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at Maine Medical Center in Portland, following a period of declining health.

Born on the island of North Haven on January 9, 1939, she was the daughter of Carl and Alyce (Nutt) Beverage and grew up on the island she loved. Gertrude was a 1957 graduate of North Haven High School.

Following graduation, she ventured to the mainland with her friend Judy Schofield, settling in Rockland to attend secretarial school. Her sense of adventure soon led her to Florida, along with a friend, Almond Ames and his grandmother, to work at a well-regarded hotel establishment there. Those would prove to be memorable years in her life. She spent idyllic winters hosting returning patrons and enjoying the beach scene with a close circle of waitresses. It was here in Florida that she met the love of her life, Galen "Gil" Foltz. They would eventually marry and, as they say, the rest is history.

After five years in Annapolis, Maryland, working for Alice and Corin Strong, ex-ambassador to Norway, the young couple returned to North Haven, where Gertrude worked raising their family and, for a time, cleaning seasonal homes before embarking on a long and fulfilling career as a cherished cook for Aubrey and Constance (Morrow) Morgan family.

Proud of her island heritage, Gertrude had a deep passion for genealogy, tracing her family's roots to Captain Eleazer Crabtree and successfully documenting her status as a Mayflower descendant. She was a founding member of the North Haven Historical Society, to which she made lasting contributions. Her community was central to her life. She was a devoted member of the North Haven Baptist Church, where she taught Sunday school for many years. Additionally, she served the North Haven Grange with dedication, including being its chaplain.

Though she cherished her small island community, Gertrude enjoyed traveling the world, with adventures taking her to The World’s Fair in New Orleans, the highlands, jungles, and Galapagos Islands of Ecuador, the island of Taiwan, tea plantations in Malaysia, the beaches, mountains, and desert of Oman, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and even the Caribbean. For many winters, she and Gil wintered in Naples, Florida, where they built a rich circle of lasting friendships.

Gertrude was the beloved soulmate of her husband for nearly 66 years. Together they were an inseparable team who navigated life’s joys and challenges hand-in-hand. Wholly dedicated to her family and dearest friends, she created a home filled with warmth, stability, and unconditional love. In quieter moments, she found great joy in the natural beauty of her island home, her pets and watching the clouds drift by and finding a serene rhythm in the coming and going of the birds at her bird feeders, a small daily wonder she never tired of observing.

Predeceased by her parents; Gertrude is survived by her beloved husband, Galen ‘Gil’ Foltz, and her son Matthew Adam Foltz, both of North Haven; her daughter, Melissa Ann Foltz and her husband John Douglas Hodges of North Haven, currently in Oman; and her granddaughter, Isabelle Kaiana Foltz, whom she adored beyond measure. She will be missed by all who were fortunate to have known her.

A celebration of her life will be held Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at 11 a.m., at North Haven Village Church. Interment will follow immediately at Fuller Cemetery for family.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her name to the North Haven Historical Society or the North Haven Village Church.

Arrangements are in the care of Burpee, Carpenter & Hutchins Funeral Home, 110 Limerock Street, Rockland.

To share a memory or condolence with the Foltz family, please visit their Book of Memories at www.bchfh.com.