BANGOR — Michele Ann McGuire passed away on December 8, 2024, at the age of 78, after a nine-year, heartbreaking journey through the challenges of Alzheimer’s disease. While her passing brings deep sadness, we want to celebrate the remarkable person she was and the joy and wisdom she brought to our lives.

Mom was born on July 20, 1946, to Floyd and Christina Rowden in Bridgton. She grew up in a small-town community that shaped her strength, independence, and deep love for nature and animals. A graduate of Bridgton High School in 1964, she went on to pursue her passion for teaching, earning her degree in Education from the University of Southern Maine and later completing her master’s in Education from the University of Maine at Orono in 1986.

In 1968, Mom married Michael McGuire, and together they had me, Tracy. She taught elementary school grades 2-5 for 38 years, with a career spanning classrooms in Bradford, Camden, and Glenburn. Mom’s students adored her, and it’s easy to see why — she taught with kindness, humor, and a fierce dedication to helping kids grow not just academically but as people. She was famous for her insistence on conflict resolution, always teaching us to use an “I message” to work through our differences. It’s one of those lessons that sticks, and I know many of her students (and her family) still use it today.

After retiring in 2006, she didn’t quite leave the world of education behind. She worked part-time mentoring new teachers until 2011, continuing to shape the future of teaching.

If you really knew Mom, you knew her true passion was horses. From the time she was a little girl cleaning stalls just for a chance to ride, horses were her happy place. In 1969, she bought her first horse, Michael’s Christy, and that was it—she was hooked for life. She rarely spent a year without at least one horse in her barn. Mom was a true horsewoman, respected for her knowledge and admired for the way she connected with these beautiful animals. She passed her love of horses down to her grandchildren, who will always remember her sharing that special part of her world with them.

Mom’s life wasn’t just about what she did, it was about who she was. She had a sharp wit, a deep love for her family, and a strength that inspired everyone around her. She was practical but kind, independent but loving, and she never stopped teaching — whether in the classroom, at home, or in the barn.

She is predeceased by her parents, Floyd and Christina, and her late husband, Danny Hamilton.

She leaves behind me, her daughter Tracy, and my husband Ryan Cloutier of Corinna; her grandchildren Jacob of Lakeside, Mt.; Jessica of Farmington; and Joseph of Newport. We will miss her fiercely but feel her presence in so many moments — whether it’s hearing her wisdom in our heads or seeing the light she brought to the world reflected in the lives she touched.

A special thank you to Kacey, Lacey, Tina, and Lilly of Ross Manor for their kindness and care this past year. We will hold a burial service this spring, with details to come. In honor of Mom’s love for animals, donations can be made to the Bangor Humane Society in her memory.

Mom, you were our rock, our teacher, and our biggest cheerleader. We will carry you with us always, in our hearts and in the lessons, you taught us. For those who wish to leave written condolences may do so at crosbyneal.com