2020 obituary. Dorothy May Bartlett Stone, 98, passed into the arms of her Heavenly Father on July 21, 2020, surrounded by her kind caregivers at Sedgewood Commons of Falmouth, Maine. Dorothy, lovingly known as “Dot”, was born on July 18, 1922, in Portland, Maine, to Frank R. and May Compton Bartlett. Dot enjoyed her childhood years with her parents and five siblings in Naples, Maine. For her senior year of high school, Dot and her family moved to Portland, Maine, and she graduated with fond memories from Deering High School in 1942. When World War II began, Dot joined over 4,000 women who went to work in the shipyards to support the war effort. Training as a welder, she was employed by the South Portland Shipyard tasked with building the famous Liberty Ships. Years later, she and her daughter Linda were fortunate to tour “her” Liberty Ship, the USS Jeremiah O’Brien during its visit to Portland Harbor. She was very proud of her war efforts; often referred to as the iconic “Rosie the Riveter”, her story was captured in 2005 in the Salt Story Archive radio interview called “Rugged and Beautiful”. Dot would go on to hold many interesting positions, including her work at the Children’s Museum in Portland, Maine, and her winters as an elevator operator in Del Ray Beach, Florida. Family, however, was always her priority. After high school, Dot married James Preston Stone, of Portland, and together they had four children who were the pride of her life. She had a unique bond with each child, whether it was putting on yard sales with her daughter, Patricia, visits to Connor Prairie and Victoria Mansion with her daughter Linda, or coffee with her son Daniel. Dot and her son Michael enjoyed many memorable camping trips to Baxter State Park and she would join Forest, her youngest grandson, at his soccer games to cheer him on well into her 90’s. Dot loved telling stories of her childhood on the beloved family farm in Naples: Picking flowers with her sisters and selling little bouquets by the side of the road, riding to her one room schoolhouse in a wagon heated by a pot bellied stove, caring for her horse “Ginger”, or growing her first flower garden around the old well. Her love of gardening, shared with her sisters, and later with her daughter Patricia, always included pansies in the spring, rose bushes in the summer, and pumpkins and mums in the fall, where her string of pumpkin lights lit up the entry for her costumed Halloween Parties. In winter, Patricia kept her window boxes full of fresh evergreens and wild berries. Dot loved decorating, especially for Christmas. She hosted many large family gatherings, and most visits had at least one competitive game of Scrabble. She was quick-witted with an infectious laugh and she loved a good April Fool’s joke. She spent many hours on the coast of Maine walking the beaches and gathering shells, rocks, bird feathers, and driftwood. From these collections, she would create her own unique gifts to share, inspiring a love for the sea in her whole family. Throughout her life she enjoyed many travels, whether it was hiking the Jungfrau in Switzerland, annual trips to Indiana to visit family, touring the countryside of Austria, road trips to Amish Country in Lancaster, PA, or visiting the historic sites of England and Scotland with her special friend John Nichols of Freeport, Maine. She amazed everyone with her love of “roughing it” in the North Maine Woods when she and John were in their 80’s. Her youthfulness and vitality came, she said, from “Oil of Olay for my skin and sardines for my body!” Dot was tender-hearted and compassionate, welcoming everyone into her home and into her heart. Animals loved her, too. Once her beloved dog, Laddie, passed away, she became the devoted owner of one cat after another. But the dogs who lived with other family members treated her as their own, perhaps because, when she thought no one was looking, she would sneak treats to them under the table. Whatever she had, her joy was always found in sharing it. This was her greatest gift, sharing her life with those who loved her. She will always be remembered as a strong, independent, hard-working, and ever generous mother, grandmother, great grandmother and friend. Dorothy was predeceased by James Stone, her son Daniel Stone, her granddaughter Tamara Graffam, her great grandson Walter Gahagan, and her friend John Nichols. Dorothy is survived by her daughter Patricia and husband Neal Graffam and their children, Teri and Paul Kenison, Tracey and Mike Dickson, Tim and Meghan Graffam, and Tia and Ryan Eidemiller; by her daughter Linda and husband Hayes Gahagan, and their children, Aron and Megan Gahagan, Ryan Gahagan, Adam and Evita Gahagan, Joseph Gahagan, and Sarah Gahagan; her son, Michael, Mary Raimondo and their son Forest; and her son Daniel’s children, James Niemi and Gina Bannon; and by her seventeen great grandchildren. The family wishes to acknowledge the special relationship she had with her nephew Steve Dearborn, her niece and husband Cindy and Jerry Robbins, Dan Macdonald, Janice and Bob Huelin, the John Nichols family, and the many friends and neighbors who meant so much to her. The family would like to thank Dot’s caregivers on the Millay Unit at Sedgewood Commons of Falmouth, Rachael Powers and Hobbs Funeral Home, and for the assistance of Pastor Danny Patterson of Second Parish Presbyterian Church of Portland, Maine. A private memorial and celebration of life was held on Friday, August 14. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her honor to an animal shelter of your choice, or to Victoria Mansion of Portland.