Friends Remembered: Christina York

Christina York, 81, of Presque Isle, Maine, died Thursday, April 12, 2018. York was the widow of Herbert Daniel York, who died in 1977 attempting to save a 14-year-old boy from drowning in the Aroostook River near Presque Isle. In keeping with Commission founder Andrew Carnegie’s wish that those financially dependent upon heroes “should not suffer pecuniarily,” York was given a continuing monthly grant for 40 years, lasting until the time of her death. In 2016, York wrote to the Commission thanking it for their assistance. “It’s as though Herb is helping out the family as he did when he was right here with us,” she wrote. York was born in 1937 and earned an associate’s degree in office assistance from Northern Maine Technical College in 1993. She enjoyed knitting, playing dice, playing cards, and puzzles. She is survived by five children, Robert Lee York, Herbert Allen York, Bruce Wayne York, “Chee Chee” Levasseur, and Deborah Ann Beckwith; three sisters, 15 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren.