Thelma Brooks

Waterville – Thelma Esther Eye Goggin Brooks age 101, passed away on Monday, September 28 2026 at the Oak Grove Center in Waterville, ME. where she recently celebrated her 101st birthday. She was born on September 10, 1925 in Calais, ME. The eldest of three children of Chester William Eye and Mary Elizabeth “Bessie” Edmonds Eye.
At the time of her death, Thelma held the title of the longest living member of her family tree, going back generations and hundreds of years.
She was educated in the Calais school system and graduated from Calais Academy in the class of 1942. Shortly after graduation, her family moved to Gardiner and she moved to Rome, N.Y. where she worked for the Army Air Depot for the next 3 years, after which time she moved back to Maine.
She married William “Bill” Goggin in Gardiner, ME in May 1946 and they began their family together, raising 4 children. Thelma was active in the community and with the schools, she often subbing a class, coaching a team, or teaching swimming to local children during the summers.
In 1971, due to the death of her son in Vietnam, she suddenly became a Gold Star Mother. One of the downsides of living a long life, she experienced the loss of many of her family members as well as the loss of all four of her children.
During her working years and into the early years of her retirement, Thelma was very involved with genealogy and her family tree. She also was a published author of some of her genealogy researches and families that she also did research for.
A few years before her retirement, she moved to Waterville where she met her second husband, Earl Brooks and they married in 1979. After she retired, she worked at the library in Waterville and was active in the local stamp club and often played cards on Saturday nights with her friends, well into her 90’s.
Thelma was pre-deceased by her father Chester in 1947 and her mother Bessie in 2003. Her brother Donald Eye in 1985 and her sister Shirley Williams in 2015. Her son Richard in 1971, her son Kenneth in 1994 and most recently her son Chester and her daughter Donna both in 2024. Also pre-deceased by her nephew Daniel Williams in 2024 as well as both of her former husbands.
She is survived by two grandsons, Joel Goggin of CA, and Tom Stevens of Randolph, ME.; four great grandsons, Chris, and Zachary Goggin of Waterville; Ben and Luke Stevens of Randolph; one nephew and Guardian, Jeffery Williams of Portland; two nieces, Liz (Eye) Helton and Julie (Eye) Gilmore of NV. One great niece in Maine, Shannon (Williams) May. Three great nieces Jamie Richards, Carrie Arcoraci and Rachel Gilmore and one great nephew, Adam Gilmore, all from NV. Several great nephews and nieces in Nevada.
Thelma requested no visiting hours and no funeral. She wished to be cremated and her ashes buried in the family lot in Calais, where she will be laid to rest next to her parents and her son Kenneth. Arrangements are under the direction and care of Aable Cremation Service in Waterville. An online guestbook may be signed, condolences and memories shared at www.aablecremationservice.com.