ROCKLAND — Mildred Maxine Fletcher Pease, 91, passed away September 15, 2017, in Rockland surrounded by her family. Born in Palmyra, December 2, 1925, she was the daughter of Henry A. and Effie Rines Fletcher.

Mildred, better known as Jonnie, was the eleventh of 12 children. She is survived by her younger sister, Margaret Margeson, of Bath. She was a 1944 graduate of Newport High School where she was noted as a great basketball player and ultimately was a State Medalist. A lifelong fan of the Celtics, Red Sox and Patriots, she attended her children's, grandchildren's and great-grandchildren's games through winter of 2016 -17.

In 1945, she graduated from Ballard Beauty School in Bangor and moved to Rockland to live with her sister, Marion, and her husband, Charles Foote, Sr.

She was employed at Al's Beauty Shop when a waitress at lunchtime passed her a note from a banker seated at the counter asking her for a date. Three months later, she married P. Willard Pease. They owned and operated Witham's Lobster Pound restaurant with Willard's sister until he was elected Sheriff of Knox County in 1948. In those days, the Sheriff and family resided in a home attached to the county jail, which was located beside the Knox County Court House. Jonnie's job for the next 20 years was to prepare all the meals for the inmates at jail.

After Willard retired as Sheriff, she returned to hairdressing, working at Lenfest Salon in Camden. She later worked for her daughter-in-law, Cheryl Pease, at the Specialty Shop, and for her daughter, Doris Norton, at Andrus Flowers and Gifts, retiring from the working world when she was 81.

Always active in the community, Jonnie was a member of the Rockland Congregational Church, a Soup Kitchen volunteer, Eastern Star, Girl Scout Leader, and the PBMC Hospital Auxiliary and front desk volunteer.

She is survived by her son Willard (Skip) Pease and his wife, Cheryl, of Spruce Head; her daughter, Doris Norton, and husband, Dennis, of Rockport; her step-daughter, Nora Pease Locke, of Portsmouth, N.H.; six grandchildren, Angela Pease Weston, Dawn Michelle Pease Bradeen, Michael Norton. Sr., Mary Kristen Norton Tolman, Samantha Pease Bouffard and Daniel Pease; 11 great-grandchildren, Brian, Michael Jr, Sierra, Savannah, Abigail, Hunter, Natalie, Everett, Madelyn, Fiona and Clayton; two step-grandchildren, Howard Locke, Jr., and Lisa Locke, as well as many nieces, nephews and extended family. She was predeceased by her husband in 1989; a step-grandson Fred Locke; three brothers, Ivan, Sr., Joe and Laurice; and seven sisters, Marion, Nina, Doris, Irene, Wyona, Ruth and Phyllis.

Relatives and friends are invited to visit from 10 to 11 a.m., Monday, September 25, 2017, at Burpee, Carpenter & Hutchins Funeral Home, 110 Limerock Street, Rockland, where a service of remembrance will begin at 11 a.m. A reception will follow at the funeral home's 104 Limerock reception facility. Interment will follow in Oak Hill Cemetery, Camden. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Area Interfaith Outreach Food Pantry (AIO), 70 Thomaston Street, Rockland, ME 04841, or Newport High School Alumni Association, C/O Nokomis High School, 266 Williams Road, Newport, ME 04953, to be used for their scholarship program.

To share a memory or story with Jonnie's family, please visit their online Book of Memories at www.bchfh.com.