2013 obituary. FALMOUTH -- Maria Benoit Hanley, formerly of Brunswick, died peacefully with her family by her side on Dec. 6, 2013 after a brief illness. Maria lived a remarkable 92-year life dedicated to family, faith and community. The oldest daughter of Henri and Katherine Benoit, she grew up in Portland and graduated from Waynflete School in 1939. She was fiercely proud of her French and Irish heritage and of her family's commitments to community service. She attended Trinity College in Washington DC and graduated from Smith College in 1943, majoring in zoology. Following graduation she worked at New York Hospital, Cornell Medical School where she was involved in the early research and development of oral penicillin with Dr. Walsh McDermott. After several years in New York she returned to Portland where she worked as a medical assistant and was introduced to Dr. Dan Hanley, Bowdoin College physician. She and Dr. Dan fell in love and were married at Holy Cross Church in South Portland in 1948. They lived in Brunswick for the next 53 years where they raised their four children. She lived her life in her own words as a 'full time spouse, mother and community advocate'. Organizations she served included: Brunswick schools PTA, Davis Fund, Regional Memorial Hospital, Maine Pine Tree Crippled Children's Society, Maine TB & Maine Lung Association s, Maine Milk Commission and St Charles Boromeo (Brunswick) and Holy Martyrs (Falmouth). She was a vigorous partner to Dan throughout his remarkable career as college physician, US Olympic physician, Executive Director of the Maine Medical Association and devoted family doctor to countless patients in the Brunswick area. Her faith was the cornerstone of a life. She held fast to a belief in God's undying sympathy and love. She was an active member of St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Brunswick and in more recent years Holy Martyrs Parish in Falmouth. Maria's involvement in community service extended beyond Brunswick to the state. She was appointed to the Maine Milk Commission in 1975 by Governor James Longley. She was a strong advocate for Maine dairy farmers and ultimately was appointed chairman of the commission. Typical of her farsighted community interest this effort required difficult state-wide advocacy for a sustainable model for the local milk supply chain and for the Maine consumer. Her advocacy for local businesses as quality producers clearly foretold the boom of 21st century local sourcing of Maine produce. She enjoyed traveling to the Olympics with her husband and cheering for the U.S. athletes. She was a ferocious tennis player and an avid sports fan who loved cheering on her grandchildren including attending Bowdoin hockey and football games. After the death of her husband in 2001, Maria carried on Dan's public commitment to innovation in healthcare. Her forward thinking sense of community values led her to an instrumental role in the founding of the Dan Hanley Center for Health Leadership, an organization dedicated to improving the health and health care for the citizens of Maine. After playing key leadership roles, she then served as Chair Emerita of the Center. With her guidance it has become a national role model for developing local health care leadership capabilities. In 2002 Maria moved to Oceanview in Falmouth where she began a new phase of her life with many new and old friends. She was an active member of the Oceanview community. Maria was a quiet but forceful role model in the medical community actively practicing the caring ways she shared with her husband. During her recent illness she was deeply thankful for the compassionate care she received from her many kind caregivers that allowed her to remain in her home. She is predeceased by her brothers Arthur and Louis Benoit; and her grandson Joshua Kubetz. Visiting hours will be 3:30-7:00 pm, Tuesday, Dec. 10th, at Conroy-Tully Crawford Funeral Home, 172 State Street, Portland. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, Dec. 11th, at Holy Martyrs Church, 266 Foreside Road, Falmouth. Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery, South Portland.