Stefanie Wayne-Workman

Saco

Stefanie Wayne-Workman, 66, passed away on December 21st, 2025, in Biddeford, Maine.

Stefanie was born to Stanley Wayne and Sandra Schobrun Wayne in New York, New York. She spent her youth as a member of the Ethical Humanist Society, helping her family with political action through candidate support and fundraising. She was active in her local youth choir and in musical productions as a high school student. Those joys became central to her and illustrated her joy of life, music and festive gatherings of all sorts that continued her entire life. She was unhesitatingly generous, joyous and vibrantly family oriented always.

Stefanie worked many careers, as a social work case manager, working in childcare in various places, creating a childcare program for Harvard Community Health, residential manager for a community integration agency and generally setting other people's happiness as her goal. She was deeply loved and helping others was her lifelong mission. Her deep belief that people mattered and an inbred sense of optimism & fairness sustained her throughout her life & was evident to all who knew her.

Stefanie was diagnosed with a rare form of muscular dystrophy later in life, but her disability never stopped her from loving others and building community around her. Her passions for music and dancing never waned, even as she could no longer dance herself, she loved to be around joyous celebration of life and appreciated the skill and talent of others. She was committed to finding help or a cure for the disability that curtailed her own abilities. Her optimism shone brightly as she recovered from multiple cancers and other problems brought about by her myotonic dystrophy. She was like the "energizer bunny" or "Timex watches" in that she could still optimistically carry on when lesser people might have given up due to the severity of her illness. Not just carry on but continue to share the joy of living with everyone she knew. Her favorite toast on celebratory occasions was "Live as long as you want to and want to as long as you live."

Stefanie traveled the world extensively, with her high school sweetheart & partner in adventures and later husband Gordon Workman on a motorcycle with a sidecar. Upon settling back in the US, she found great joy in the community of Southern Maine. She was a member of the Etz Chaim Synagogue, as well as Tri-city Community Chorus. Stefanie was deeply devoted to family, the community of people she loved that gathered around her, (and that community cries out at the loss of someone so dear to their hearts.) Her warmth and ever-present optimism will be deeply missed.

Stefanie was predeceased by her mother, Sandra Schonbrun Wayne.

Stefanie is survived by her husband, Gordon Workman, her daughter, Shona Workman, and son, Samuel Workman, her father Stanley Wayne & Marilyn Kassierer-Wayne, and her brothers Steven Wayne & Mary Ibkilo of Biddeford, and Martin Wayne & Joyce of Virginia.