Donna Armitage

DONNA ARMITAGE has a great list of followers due to her ever-ready attitude towards playful activities. She is one of Bapst's loyal rooters and a staunch supporter of all social life requiring bounce and go. Donna has acquired a versatile knowledge of the library which will be to her advantage in later courses. Donna is pointing towards a nursing career and probably will take off for Portland and Mercy in the Fall.

DONNA ARMITAGE RYDER

OLD ORCHARD BEACH - Donna Armitage Ryder, 67, of Oregon Avenue, died at Pine Point Nursing Center on Wednesday, May 7, 2003, following a long illness.

She was born in Bangor on Oct. 29, 1935, the daughter of James Francis Armitage and Mary Campbell Armitage.

She was educated at St. Mary's Catholic School and graduated from John Bapst High School in 1953.

As a young woman, she was employed at Merrill Trust Co. in Bangor, where she met her husband.

On Sept. 8, 1956, she married Charlton H. Ryder at St. Mary's Church in Bangor. After staying at home to raise her three children, she returned to work starting at Dexter area schools and later in Belfast as a teacher's aid.

She then worked for Waldo County Hospital in Belfast and later relocated to Tampa, Fla., where she worked for General Telephone Electric.

She returned 13 years ago to Southern Maine, where she was last employed at the Greater Portland Chamber of Commerce and Southern Maine Medical Center.

In addition to being a loving and devoted mother and grandmother, Mrs. Ryder had been active in Catholic church activities, including teaching catechism classes.

She was also involved with many groups at Southern Maine Medical Center.

She enjoyed her many friends, walks on the beach, playing bingo, and traveling to Reno.

She was predeceased by her husband, Charlton H. Ryder, March 29, 1989; by two grandsons, Samuel James Abbott, in April 1984, and Clay Francis Armitage, in March 2001. A sister, Ann Calandrino, in 1999; and twin brothers, James and John Armitage, in 1936, also predeceased her.

Surviving are one son, Jeffrey C. Ryder and his wife, Brenda, of Old Orchard Beach; two daughters, Mrs. Randy (Marianne) Abbott of Searsmont and Mrs. Neil (Julie) Armitage of Falmouth; one sister, Mary Ellen Moore of Lewiston, Idaho; four grandchildren, Randy and Kristi Abbott of Searsmont, and Robert and Reece Armitage of Falmouth.

Visiting hours will be 6-8 p.m. Monday at Hope Memorial Chapel. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Tuesday at St. Margaret's Church in Old Orchard Beach. Arrangements are by Hope Memorial Chapel, 480 Elm St., Biddeford.