Milford - Agnes Edna (Robinson) Shorette, 89 passed away after living a life with COPD, bladder cancer and heart disease on March 27, 2019. Agnes was born in Oakland, Maine, on December 16, 1929 to Francis Robinson and Charlotte (Shores) Robinson. She and her only sibling, Thomas Robinson, were raised on the family farm in Oakland and when times were hard, the family was luckier than most because the Robinsons raised fruit, nuts, gardened and had pigs and cows. Agnes graduated from Williams High School in 1948 and after meeting the love of her life, Joseph Shorette, she chose to get married and not go to college and study to be a teacher. Agnes' decision to marry Joseph Shorette was not without challenges, at that time, 1950, mixed faith marriages were difficult to obtain within the Catholic Church. With determination and many cathechism and religious instructions, the parish priest reluctantly gave his approval for the marriage. They were married July 3, 1950 with Mary Small and Peter Shorette standing up as witnesses for them. Food preparation had been a major focus in Agnes' life. Beginning in 1950, shortly after her wedding, Joe's uncle, Charles Shorette, offered them employment at his restaurant in Lincoln. In 1952, Joe's cousin, Raymond, bought the diner in Old Town and a partnership formed with Joe and Agnes operated Shorette's Diner in Old Town. Eventually, Chantell Shorette's Diner took over the restaurant with Joe and Agnes continuing the daily operations until 1966. In 1966, Joe went to work at the food service at University of Maine at Orono, as a chef, and Agnes followed shortly. In 1968, when Agnes learned she was pregnant, she had to resign her position in the dining hall because the culture and attitude of the time felt it was inappropriate for a pregnant woman to be around young adults. After her daughter was born, she returned to food service again, this time at W.T. Grant's in Old Town as an assistant manager. Three years later, she found herself returning to food service at University of Maine, Orono. She retired from the university after 20 years in 1992. Although retired, Agnes still kept her hand in food service, volunteering for Meals on Wheels and the Parker Dining Hall in Orono. In her 80's she was heard telling a friend she volunteered serving meals and "feeding the old people." Agnes not only volunteered her time, but donated to many organizations including The Maine Action Coalition, Heart to Heart at Eastern Maine Medical Center, Meals on Wheels, Parker Dining, RSVP, Jackson Area Food Pantry, Camp CaPella, Special Olympics, Holy Family Church, Red Hats Society, and the May Flower Society. She was well known for her beautiful hand-knitted mittens that she donated yearly to the Jackson Food Pantry Christmas Auction. Many aggressive bidding wars occurred because of the mitten's popularity. One of Agnes' favorite summer activities was participating in local parades in her son Jay's antique cars and vehicles or the "Kool Bus"- one of her favorite vehicles. Agnes was a strong, determined and resourceful woman. She and her husband built a camp on land they hand cleared by themselves along Pushaw Lake. Most of the lumber was salvaged from structures they tore down and hauled away. The children remember many hours pulling nails from the barn boards so they could earn an allowance. Many happy memories were made at the Pushaw Lake camp- the hot, fresh-baked muffins cooked on the woodstove from berries the children picked, to snowshoeing across the lake in the winter, shoveling snow off the roof and ice fishing. In 1963, the Shorette's bought a "fixer-upper" on Stillwater Avenue in Old Town and Agnes put her resourcefulness together again, helping to tear down walls, sheet rocking, mudding and general renovations- all while working full time and raising a house full of children. It was only after all the children left home and Joe's death that she moved "across the river" to Milford and settled into her spacious double-wide home owned by her son, Jay Shorette. Many a holiday has been celebrated there including Red Hat Society teas and especially holiday gatherings to walk through her Santa Claus collection and decorations. One Christmas, Santa and Mrs. Claus came for a surprise visit and they too were amazed by her Santa displays. She owned more than she was years old. It was in her Milford home that Agnes filled it with family, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and many friends. She will be greatly missed by many generations. She was predeceased by her husband Joseph Shorette, brother Thomas Robinson, and her daughter Laura Jo Krohn. Agnes is survived by daughters Louise Shorette, Myrle Stevens and husband Daniel Stevens, daughters Michele Shorette, Tina Shorette and partner Richard Levesque, son Jay Shorette, granddaughter Samantha Shorette Casella and husband Frank Casella, grandsons Scott Stevens and Ryan Shorette, and great granddaughter Carmen Casella. The family would like to extend a special thank you to Donna Fitzgerald for her companionship and loving care. Friends and family will gather to celebrate her life Sunday March 31 from 4-6pm at Birmingham Funeral Home, 438 Main St. Old Town, ME. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor Agnes memory are asked to make donations to Camp CaPella PO Box 552, Holden, ME 04429 www.campcapella.org or Jackson Area Food Pantry c/o Donna Nickerson 538 Village Road Jackson, ME 04921. Private burial will be later in the spring at Lawndale Cemetery, Old Town.