SACO, Maine (AP) - Wendy Boudreau graduated from Thornton Academy in Maine, fell in love with her husband there, and eventually worked there. Hundreds of friends and family attended her funeral Tuesday in the high school's auditorium, where her daughter said her mother wouldn't want her relatives and friends to crumble under the tragedy of her brutal death in a supermarket stabbing.
"We will hold each other close, and keep mom with us - the glue that holds us all together," Jessica said.
Jessica's advice was the theme for a funeral that brought about 600 people to Thornton Academy. The 59-year-old Boudreau, who worked in the school's alumni office for many years, was remembered as the rock of a beloved family in the community.
Boudreau, a Saco resident, was shopping at a neighborhood supermarket on Aug. 19 when 31-year-old Connor MacCalister slashed her throat, according to police. She later died at a hospital. A police affidavit says MacCalister confessed to the killing and told police he went to the store to kill "several random people."
Reverend Burton Howe, a friend of the family for years, led Tuesday's service, which began with a slideshow featuring Boudreau with her husband Jeffrey, four children and nine grandchildren. Howe began the service by asking the crowd to remember and celebrate Boudreau's life, despite the profound impact her killing has had on the community.
"Wendy's death has ground us to a halt - especially her family," Howe said.
Boudreau was born in Fredericton, New Brunswick, before moving to Maine at age 5. She worked as a nurse's aide at a Biddeford hospital and office manager for the family contracting business, in addition to working at the school. She'd been married for 40 years.
Her passions included gardening, cooking, spending time at the family's camp in Naples, and completing crossword puzzles. She had boasted about being able to finish the New York Times crossword puzzle in ink with no mistakes, according to an obituary that ran this week. She was also especially fond of Christmas, and the slideshow included pictures of Boudreau prepping for the holiday and celebrating it with her children and grandchildren.
Boudreau and her husband were high school sweethearts who had been in each other's lives since they were children, said State Sen. Linda Valentino, a longtime family friend who spoke at the funeral. Valentino recalled Boudreau convincing her to head out for an ice cream cone one night and "accidentally" walking by Jeffrey's house so the two could meet.
Valetino wept at the podium when remembering a morning when she and Boudreau watched the sunrise as children. She said she got up early Tuesday morning to watch the sunrise from the same spot and "say goodbye."
Thornton Academy is a public school for students in grades six to 12 and includes a middle and high school. It also takes some out-of-town students and has a student population of about 1,500.
MacCalister, also of Saco, is being held without bail and has not entered a plea in the case. His next scheduled court date is Oct. 30, but his attorney, Robert LeBrassuer, has said he could face indictment before then.
The police affidavit says he was planning the attack for a month and was angry with life and "off my meds."