YORK BEACH, Maine Long before she took an ownership stake in The Goldenrod, Patricia Abbott started out selling candy at the iconic seaside shop as a young woman.
She and her family lived in Arlington, Massachusetts, but they spent their summers in Cape Neddick, so she landed a seasonal job at The Goldenrod, just as thousands of young people have done in the seven decades since.
Pat kept coming back to work and ultimately made a lifelong career at the establishment known for its signature saltwater taffy kisses, where she met her husband, James Peck, and employed not only their children but also a steady stream of others who came to view her as a mentor-matriarch of sorts.