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Obituary: Birdena Evelyn (Kenney) Padham
A Life Well-Lived
Birdena Evelyn (Kenney) Padham, a lifelong resident of Madison, Maine, passed away peacefully on May 17, 2024, at the Woodlands Memory Care facility. She was 98 years old.
Birdena was born in Madison on October 26, 1925, to William and Helen (LeBlanc) Kenney. She was the sixth of their seven children. After graduating from Madison High School in 1943, Birdena moved to Portland, where she worked as a welder on Liberty Ships during World War II.
Following the war, Birdena remained in Southern Maine, working as a waitress in Old Orchard Beach. It was there that she met her future husband, Norris Padham. They married in 1946 and enjoyed 67 years of marriage until Norris’s passing.
Birdena and Norris raised two daughters, Jane Ouderkirk and Ellen Levay. Birdena was a dedicated mother who put her family first. She stayed at home to care for her daughters until they started school, then returned to work part-time. She held various jobs throughout her life, including assistant to dentist Eli Darveau, soda jerk at Cook’s Drugstore, and bean packer.
In 1969, the Padhams moved to New Milford, Connecticut, where Birdena worked as a financial clerk at a money order company. They returned to Madison full-time in 1984 after retiring.
Birdena and Norris enjoyed an active retirement. They were avid ballroom and country dancers, often traveling to dance halls throughout New England. They also loved taking annual vacations to Myrtle Beach and Las Vegas, as well as frequent trips to Atlantic City. Birdena and Norris also cherished their time camping with their grandchildren at Happy Horseshoe.
Birdena was a kind and compassionate woman who always put others before herself. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and sister. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her.
Birdena was predeceased by her husband, Norris; sisters Lorena Snell and Irene Damren; brothers Raymond, Angus, and Lawrence Kenney; and her grandchildren’s father, William Levay.
She is survived by her daughters, Jane Ouderkirk and Steve of Solon, and Ellen Levay and Barry Luce of Madison; grandchildren Brian Levay and fiancé Nicole Muise of Biddeford, Kathleen Levay of Milford, Connecticut, William Levay and Taylor Witham and their children, Peter and Charlie of Freeport; sister Lorraine Chandler of Zephyrhills, Florida; and many nieces and nephews.
Celebration of Life
A Celebration of Life for Birdena will be held at 11:00 a.m. on June 21, 2024, in Pierce Cemetery in Solon.
Arrangements are under the care and direction of Giberson Funeral Home and Cremation Services. To leave a condolence for the family and to view the online obituary, please visit http://www.gibersonfuneralhome.
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