WEST GARDINER - Myra Champagne, a longtime resident of West Gardiner, passed away peacefully on August 25, 2026, at Woodlands of Hallowell Memory Care.

She was born on March 26, 1941, to Lawrence and Geneva Higgins in Charleston, Maine. One of 16 children, Myra, told many tales of growing up on a working farm in rural Maine with all of her siblings. Myra graduated from the Higgins Classical Institute and then the School of Nursing at Eastern Maine General Hospital.

Myra worked for more than 35 years at VA Togus as an RN in Mental Health Care Services. She married Bertrand Champagne and greatly enjoyed raising her two sons Scott and Mark. Myra and Bert traveled all over New England as the boy’s played hockey and many family memories were made every summer when the boys went to hockey school in St Andrews, New Brunswick.

Myra had a lifelong passion for horses. For many years she owned Appaloosas and took great pride in her horse Cappy. In 1986 her son Scott was injured in an accident and Myra devoted herself to his care. She fought for his rights and benefits and for many years played a significant role in the Maine Head Injury Foundation.

Myra’s greatest joy was the arrival of her two granddaughters Rebecca and Jessica. She was very proud of being the first to take them to horseback riding lessons and then to watch them compete all over Maine.

Myra was predeceased by her parents, her husband Bert and siblings Donald Higgins, Theresa Tripp, Lawrence Higgins Jr, Theodore (Ted) Higgins, John Higgins, Miriam Pitkins, Betty Bragdon, Marjorie Perkins Hagelin, Ruth Fecteau, Carolyn (Jean) Chesley, and Clifford (Kip) Higgins.

Myra is survived by her son Scott, son Mark and his wife Karen, granddaughter Rebecca, granddaughter Jessica and her husband Hunter and great granddaughter Charlotte. Brother Arthur (Pete) Higgins, brother Francis Higgins and his wife Nicky, and sister Alice Drinkwater.

A private service will be held at the Maine Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery.

The family thanks the incredible care team at Woodlands Hallowell Memory Care for their compassionate, thoughtful and professional care of Myra in the last few years. Their efforts made an immense difference in Myra’s life. The family is also grateful to the hospice team from Andwell Health for their attention to Myra’s needs and providing support to the family.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the American Diabetes Association are appreciated: American Diabetes Association P.O. Box 7023 Merrifield, VA 22116-7023 or https://diabetes.org

Arrangements and guidance are in the care of Staples Funeral Home and Cremation Care, 53 Brunswick Avenue, Gardiner, Maine.

Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the Staples Funeral Home website, www.staplesfuneralhome.com