Jean Theriault poses for a portrait Wednesday in the kitchen of her Winslow catering business. After 50 years of service as a caterer, Theriault, 89, is retiring. “Her joy is feeding people and interacting with people,” her daughter, Donna Bragdon of Albion, said. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel

There are people who, when they age, tend to sit back and watch the world go by.

And then there are people like Jean Theriault, 89, who is anything but a couch potato.

For the last 50 years, the Winslow woman has run her own business, catering for weddings, funerals, stamp shows, gun shows, air shows, veterans’ organizations, birthdays and other events within a 20-mile radius, all while caring for her family and others.

She’s nearly 90, but looks and acts more like 30, loves to converse and is happiest when gathering with her four children, sons-in-law, 10 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

I met Theriault and her family Tuesday at her business, J&D Catering, on Benton Avenue in Winslow, from which she plans to retire in March. She’d go on working another decade, except her daughters for the last five years have been urging her to retire. And though she agreed to do so, it won’t be easy.

“Her joy is feeding people and interacting with people,” her daughter, Donna Bragdon, 65, of Albion, said.

Jean Theriault, 89, left, and daughters Denise Murray, center, and Donna Bragdon share memories Wednesday in the kitchen of Theriault’s catering business in Winslow. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel

Theriault grew up in Aroostook County with a mother who owned two small restaurants, in Ashland and Washburn, so she learned the art of cooking early on. In the 1950s the family moved to Waterville, where Theriault and her husband, who died many years ago, raised three daughters and a son. They all helped her in the catering business, making everything from sandwiches, salads, meatballs, baked beans and chop suey to pastries and cookies. She catered all her daughters’ weddings, and even her husband’s funeral.

Over the years, the family always gathered for birthdays and holidays, even after Theriault’s kids grew up, married and had their own children. But she never forgot people outside the family who needed some love.

“When our kids were young, our Christmas didn’t start ’til Mom bought presents and she made plates for friends who were in need or alone,” said Theriault’s youngest daughter, Diane Hayes, 60, of Fairfield.

Theriault gave leftover food to the homeless and delivered food to the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, according to her daughters and son-in-law, Jay Hayes, 64.

Jean Theriault, 89, front center, is pictured Wednesday with her daughters and son-in-law in the kitchen of her catering business in Winslow. Theriault is retiring after 50 years in business. With Theriault is, from left, Denise Murray, Diane Hayes, Jay Hayes and Donna Bragdon. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel

She shares a birthday with Hayes; Theriault said her favorite thing to make is peanut butter cookies, “because he likes them.”

She has put her catering building on the market. It has an apartment on the second floor and large rooms on the first floor. Theriault already has decided its best use.

“I don’t know why they couldn’t buy this for the homeless,” she said. “They could put a lot of cots here for the people and everyone could move in and I’d come and make soup once a week.”

Theriault started catering from her former home on Ann Street in Waterville and then rented a space on Water Street in the city’s South End. Eventually she bought the Winslow building, a former Veterans of Foreign Wars hall, which her son, Dana, now 70, renovated for the business.

Jean Theriault of Winslow has run a catering business for 50 years, most recently at 89 Benton Ave. in Winslow, above, a former Veterans of Foreign Wars hall pictured Wednesday. Theriault is retiring from the business, which her daughter said prospered on word of mouth alone. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel

While busy cooking, she also took care of her ailing mother for several years until she died. Theriault now lives with and cares for her son, Dana, who has health issues.

Her daughter Denise Murray, 62, of Fairfield, said her mother never had to advertise the business because she is so well known and respected that it prospered through word of mouth.

People often ask Theriault to cater their funerals when they die, but she tells them she can’t promise that.

“They come and they say, ‘I’m going to put that in my will.’ I say, ‘I can’t guarantee it — I’m almost 90 years old’!” she said.

Asked what she will do after she retires, Theriault said she will continue to cook for family and wants to spend more time with her friends at Oxford Casino, one of her favorite places.

She still can’t quite believe she’ll be off the clock.

“I don’t know where those 50 years went,” she said. “I was so busy.”

Amy Calder has been a Morning Sentinel reporter 36 years. Her columns appear here Saturdays. She is the author of the book, “Comfort is an Old Barn,” a collection of her curated columns, published in 2023 by Islandport Press. She may be reached at acalder@centralmaine.com. For previous Reporting Aside columns, go to centralmaine.com