Barbara Sanborn

Brewer - Barbara Ann (Petrie) Sanborn, 89, died peacefully at home on July 20, 2025, with her daughter by her side. She was born August 8, 1935, in Bath, Maine, the daughter of Donald and Frances (Cowley) Petrie. She spent her childhood and early married life in Wiscasset, Maine. Barbara graduated from Wiscasset High School, class of 1952. She was vice president of her class her senior year. Later that year, she married, which ended in divorce about thirty years later. In 1968, she and her husband and children had relocated to Hampden, then later to Brewer, where she remained the rest of her life.

Barbara always stayed active, despite health issues. She belonged to the Order of the Eastern Star, Millwee Chapter 198, Orrington. She also took pride as a troop greeter at Bangor International Airport, and she spent years enjoying activities at the former senior center.

She was employed for several years at Bangor Savings Bank, and then Eastern Maine Medical Center, where she was Coordinator of Medical Education. She loved, among other responsibilities, helping to set up medical students with their rotations, and upon her retirement, she received many letters of appreciation from former students and other doctors. After retiring from the hospital in 2000, she completed a bucket list item, which was to take a trip to Scotland, the homeland of her paternal grandparents, and was one of the greatest memories of her life.

For many years, Barbara enjoyed decorating cakes for people for special occasions. Before her vision was diminished due to macular degeneration, she loved to crochet beautiful afghans, and enjoyed her morning crossword puzzles in the newspaper.

Barbara is survived by a son, Scott Sanborn, of Brewer; a daughter, Karen Sanborn, of Brewer; a sister-in-law, Lillian Petrie, of southern Maine; her cousin, Linda Trowbridge and her husband, Tom, of Edgecomb; and several nieces and nephews, all of whom she loved very much. In addition to her parents, Barbara was predeceased by her firstborn, "Sandy"; by her sisters and their husbands, Marilyn Jones and her husband, George; Helen Shorey and her husband, Sumner; Lilly Campbell and her husband, Bert; brothers, D. Gordon Petrie; and Robert Petrie II, the family's beloved little "Bobby", who passed away at only fourteen months old.

Barbara's family would like to express their deepest gratitude to the doctors, nurses, and CNAs at Eastern Maine Medical Center who treated her at her recent hospital stay; everyone at Cancer Care in Brewer; Northern Light Home Care and Hospice; and also special thanks to Lisa Chambers, Pat Blethen, Pete Perry, and the community of caring people from St. Patrick's Church in Brewer; and a very special long-time family friend, Carole Husson. Karen would also like to thank a special hospice nurse, Claudette, who was so kind and compassionate on that last night of Barbara's life.

Relatives and friends are welcome to call from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, July 25, 2025, at Brookings-Smith, 133 Center Street, Bangor. A funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, July 26, at St. Patrick's Episcopal Church, 21 Holyoke Street, Brewer, with the Rev. Canon Lisa Fry, officiating. Private interment will be in Greenlawn Cemetery, Wiscasset, at a later date.

Those who wish to remember Barbara in a special way may make gifts in her memory to St. Patrick's Church, 21 Holyoke Street, Brewer, Maine 04412.

Condolences to the family may be expressed at Brookings-Smith.com.