LITCHFIELD – Elaine L. Braunfels, a lifelong resident of Litchfield, died Monday, Sept. 27, 2021 after a courageous 18-year battle with Parkinson’s Disease.

Elaine was born on Sept. 18, 1947. She was one of 13 children born to Roger and Jeanette Turcotte.

Elaine attended Litchfield Academy and graduated from Monmouth Academy. Not a traditional student, Elaine started her first year of college when she was 38. While both working and raising a family, Elaine earned a Bachelor of Science in Art Education from the University of Southern Maine where she received high honors.

In January of 1970, Elaine walked into the Chuck Wagon restaurant in Brunswick where she met the love of her life and her best friend, Richard and they were married for 50 years.

Elaine worked many different jobs prior to her teaching career. She started at Woolworths at the age of 16 and later worked at Pioneer Plastics, Depositors Trust Bank, and Johnson Associates in Auburn, garnering the affection of her coworkers every place she worked. Elaine shared her passion for art when she took a job in the RSU #4 school system where she touched hundreds of lives teaching K-8 art for 17 years.

Elaine loved an adventure. She always jumped in the ocean, and swam out further than anybody should, no matter how frigid the water. Her quest for sand dollars was a tribute to her mother, and she acquired a massive collection. Elaine climbed and painted almost every inch of coastline in Maine. She was especially fond of Pemaquid Point as showcased in her watercolor paintings.

Elaine’s true joy in life came from her grandchildren. She often joked with her daughter’s saying, “I wish I could have skipped you girls and gone straight to the grandkids.” The grandkids enjoyed their adventures with Gram both in Maine and at Gram and Grump’s winter home in Venice, Fla.

Elaine enjoyed playing card games and poker, painting and sculpting, reading for hours at a time, riding her bike, and above all else, shopping at TJ Maxx.

Elaine will always be remembered for only knowing the first three lines of every song, breaking into song at a second’s notice, her perfect apple pies, and her favorite saying, “This is a day for making daydreams.”

She was predeceased by her brothers Robert, and Micheal; and her parents Roger and Jeannette Turcotte.

She is survived by her husband, Richard; her daughters Kate Reagan and husband Michael, Jennifer Braunfels and husband Richard Wardwell; four grandchildren, Alex, James, Maxim, and MacKenzee; her two surrogate children, Jeannette and Jimmy Schram; sister, Jackie Barrett, brother Bert Turcotte and his wife Pat, sister, Alice McPeake and husband Mac McPeake, sister, Judy Schram and husband Bud, sister, Susie Poppish and husband Dave, sister, Janie Connors, sister, Denise Sweet and husband Gary, brother, Tom Turcotte and wife Pam, Roger Jr. Turcotte and his wife Becky, and the baby of the family, Peggy Veroneau and husband Steve. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews; as well as great-nieces and nephews; and great-great-nieces and nephews.

Memories and condolences may be shared at http://www.lynchbrothers.com.

If you’d like to offer condolences, please join the family at the American Legion Post 181 at 235 Plains Rd. in Litchfield on Sunday Oct. 3 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.



In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation in

her honor.

Copy the Story Link