York-Elaine M. (Buck) Peverly, 94, passed to new life on November 23rd with her family at her side at Sentry Hill in York, ME. She was born and grew up in Medford, MA. She married Arthur Peverly of Melrose, MA, and they were married 63 years. With their RV they enjoyed many trips traveling around the country visiting friends, relatives and camping at RV sites with others from the United Methodist Camping Association. Elaine was a homemaker, mother of 4 children and worked from home during the 1960's and 1970's as a correspondent for the Portland (ME) Press Herald and the Portsmouth (NH) Press Herald. Elaine wrote a feature newspaper article about the family's 1967 trip to England to meet relatives and see some of continental Europe. She participated in Kittery and York writing and poetry groups and attended the Ocean Park (ME) Writer's Conference. She also authored and self-published numerous local history, family history, poetry and children's books. She is particularly known for her book on the building of the Piscataqua River Bridge and as co-author of "The Dummy" (the history of the Boston & Maine Railroad's Old Orchard Beach seaside branch). Elaine served the Town of Kittery (ME) as recorder for the Planning Board and the Town Council. She was chairperson of the Kittery Bicentennial Committee and with Arthur delivered Meals on Wheels for many years. Elaine especially enjoyed being a Justice of the Peace (1978-1994) and performed over 100 wedding ceremonies at many locations, including one on top of the submarine USS Portsmouth at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. She was a member of the local Republican Committee, Kittery delegate to the ME State Republican Caucus and served for many years as a voting teller. Elaine's faith was most important to her and she was very active over the years in nearly all of the groups and committees at St. Mark's UMC, especially the history committee. Elaine was appointed to the Governor's Maine State Museum Commission serving 12 years. She was a founding trustee of the Kittery Naval and Historical Museum and served on its board as well as being a member of the Kittery Cemetery Committee and the Maine Old Cemetery Association. She was a longtime member of the Old York Chapter of DAR serving in numerous capacities and was given the Women in History award in 2015. Music was a very important part of Elaine's life as a pianist, cellist in her earlier years and singing in church choirs. A group very important to her consisted of about 12 friends from the Medford church who called themselves the Roundabouts and who continued to meet together until just a few years ago. She is survived by her children Donna (Ken), Craig (Shirley), Marcia, Robert (Jennifer), 5 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. She was predeceased by her parents, husband, sister and brother-in-law, son-in-law and grandson.
Visiting hours will be from 2 – 4 p.m. Friday, December 7th, at the J.S. Pelkey Funeral Home in Kittery, ME. A private family burial will be held Saturday and a celebration of life service will take place Sunday, December 9th, at 2:00 p.m. at St. Mark's United Methodist Church, 60 Government Street, Kittery, ME, with a reception following at the church. Online condolences may be made by visiting www.jspelkeyfuneralhome.com .In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Elaine may be made to St. Mark's UMC or Kittery Naval and Historical Museum. Care for the Peverly family has been entrusted to the JS Pelkey Funeral Home.