Sallie J. Pelkey

Sallie J. Pelkey, 79, passed away peacefully on Saturday, January 9 surrounded by her family and loved ones. She was the beloved wife of Barry S. Pelkey.

Born in Brunswick, Maine to Winona Lovely and William Durgin, Sallie attended Deering High School in Portland and later graduated from Brewer High School, where she was a majorette in the marching band. She became an administrative assistant in the Bangor School Department, including several years in the science department at Bangor High School.

In 1979, Sallie moved with her family to Greensboro, North Carolina and in 1989 to Marietta, Georgia, where her love of family, friends, and tennis flourished. They returned to South Portland, Maine in 2001 to be closer to family. They moved south once again in 2014 in search of warmer weather.

Sallie was an accomplished cook who delighted in hosting family gatherings. She had an exceptional talent for baking cookies and always had a batch of your favorites on hand. She loved sports and for years was an avid skier who also enjoyed biking, boating, and hiking. She was known as a strong tennis player with a fierce cross-court forehand. She was an avid Red Sox fan and the undisputed family cribbage champion.

Sallie will be remembered as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and a loyal friend who devoted several years to caring for her aging mother and mother-in-law. She was happiest when she was helping others and through her kindness, she inspired all who knew her.

Sallie is survived by her husband and best friend of 53 years, Barry; daughters Lisa Marchese Eames and husband Jon of Cumberland; daughter Michele Brannigan of North Kingstown, Rhode Island; grandsons Ben Marchese and Gabe Marchese; sister Barbara Durgin of Falmouth; brother William Durgin and wife Mary of Weymouth, MA; brother Bruce Doughty and wife Joanie of Auburn, CA; several loving nieces and nephews; and her very special friend and caregiver, Keri Bohannon of Fort Mill, SC. She was predeceased by her son-in-law, James Brannigan.

The family wishes to express its heartfelt gratitude to Hospice and Palliative Care of Charlotte, North Carolina.

A celebration of Sallie’s life will be planned for Summer 2021 in Maine. Donations in honor of her brave fight against ALS can be made to the Jim "Catfish" Hunter ALS Foundation, P.O. Box 47, Hertford, NC 27944.