Obituary: Glenna Jean Goulet
Glenna Jean Goulet, “The Dessert Lady,” dies at 76
South Portland, Maine – Glenna Jean Goulet (née Gauvin) passed away on Oct. 17, 2026 after a courageous battle with cancer. She was 76.
Born in Rochester, New Hampshire, on July 15, 1950, Goulet graduated from Somersworth High School in 1968. After a stint as a secretary at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, she relocated to Maine in 1970 when she married her high‑school sweetheart, Richard Leo Goulet, who she later called Dick. She began her career as a legal secretary before setting up a home‑based cake‑decorating business that she ran for eight years. Over the next decades she also served as an Avon representative for more than 25 years, earning President’s Club honors, and operated a crafts shop, Calico Creations, for more than twenty years.
Goulet’s most enduring legacy was her generous spirit. Locals affectionately dubbed her “The Dessert Lady,” a nickname earned through years of preparing sweet treats for church suppers at St. John the Evangelist in South Portland and for St. Maximilian Kolbe in Scarborough, where she also served as an Eucharistic Minister. She spent countless hours knitting hats, mittens and scarves for the homeless shelter, and crafting baby and full‑size American‑flag afghans for a local agency that supports single mothers. Her lap afghans were donated to Togus Veterans Hospital, and she regularly cooked holiday desserts for the Preble Street soup kitchen and special dinner parties for elderly neighbors who lived alone.
Beyond her community work, Goulet was a prolific writer and illustrator. For twenty‑one years she worked on a family book titled Our Family, followed by a second titled Call Me Crazy. She also penned humorous children’s books based on true animal stories, handling both the text and the drawings herself.
In her spare time Goulet enjoyed reading, scrapbooking, crossword puzzles, and Scrabble. Her culinary talents were never far from her mind, and she loved sharing recipes with friends, family and neighbors. Her and Dick’s favorite outings included scenic walks along Maine’s beaches, trips to the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and adventures to Alaska and Hawaii. The couple also visited many national parks, but their preferred vacation spot was Branson, Missouri.
Goulet is survived by Dick, their three sons—Brian and wife Tara of Portland, David of Indiana, and Christopher of Portland—her brother Leonard Gauvin of Goffstown and his wife Marcie, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Funeral arrangements
Visiting hours will be held Friday, Oct. 23, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Conroy‑Tully Walker Funeral Home, 1024 Broadway, South Portland. A Christian burial Mass will take place on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 11 a.m. in St. Maximilian Kolbe Church, 150 Black Point Road, Scarborough, followed by a reception.
For condolences and to view a memorial page, please visit Conroy‑Tully Walker. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Goulet’s name to the South Portland Food Cupboard.
