Dorothy Christine Lyons, 94, of Wells, ME, passed away peacefully at The Gosnell Memorial Hospice House in Scarborough, on Wednesday, March 24, 2017. She was born on Jan. 5, 1923 in Augusta, the daughter of Herbert Abner and Addie Alvester (Brown) Gipson. She attended Hallowell schools and moved to Portland at age 19.  She married Robert G. Lyons Sr. on March 7, 1943 and together they raised three children.  Dorothy and her family spent 34 years living at Forest Lake in Gray where her favorite interests were spending time with her family, swimming, boating, gardening,  snowmobiling and walking. 

In her earlier days while her husband was in WWII and stationed in Germany, Dorothy worked for several department stores in Portland. After the return of her husband from Germany, they raised 3 children together and Dorothy was a dedicated and loving ‘stay at home Mom’.  As the children became older, she sold Avon part time in the Cumberland and Falmouth areas which she very much enjoyed.  When the children were grown, she worked part time evenings at the former Zayre’s /Ames department store in Westbrook while her husband was employed as a Motion Picture Movie Projectionist at Cinema City in Westbrook.  Dorothy was a member of the Women’s Club in Gray and also a member of the Order of the Eastern Star in New Gloucester.

Upon her retirement in 1988, Dorothy and her husband, Robert, spent their winters in Okeechobee, Fla., and summers at Forest Lake in Gray until 1993.  They then moved to Okeechobee, Fla. for the winters and in the summers they stayed with their daughter Nancy and husband in Wells. Later on they purchased an RV at Bear’s Den RV Park in Wells where they enjoyed time with family and many wonderful friends they met there.  

Dorothy and her husband were retired together for 20 years and it was in there in Florida that they celebrated their  65th wedding anniversary. Upon her husband, Robert’s, death in 2008, Dorthy spent summers back in Maine again and in 2010, she moved back to Maine full-time and made her home in Wells with her daughter Nancy and son in law Richard.  

Dorothy was a dedicated and loving caregiver.  She and her husband moved to Colorado for one year to take care of their son, Robert Lyons, Jr., after he was diagnosed and being treated for pancreatic cancer.  It was in 1995 at their home in Florida, that she said goodbye to her son with being at his side night and day. She also spent many years after that as a caregiver to her husband who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.  Dorothy was always willing to help family and friends and was so cherished and loved by many.

When Dorothy returned to make her home in with in Wells, her favorite activities were walking, jigsaw puzzles, reading, spending time with all her family and friends and most of all her beloved companions, her Golden Retriever grand dogs.  She was very proud that she was able to assist her daughter Nancy in training their Golden Retriever, Briggs, to become a registered Hospice Therapy Dog as well as Angie to become a Therapy Dog.  She often joined her daughter and grand dogs on their volunteer therapy dogs visits and was fulfilled knowing that she was helping to make a difference in other people’s lives.

Dorothy will be missed by her family and friends but always will be remembered as a strong and positive person.  She was beautiful, soft, sweet, kind, compassionate, friendly and had a wonderful sense of humor.  

Dorothy is survived by her daughter Jean Hamilton and her husband Richard of Sabattus, daughter Nancy Seiden and her husband Richard of Wells; three grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and six great-great grandchildren,  numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Dorothy was predeceased by her loving husband of 65 years, Robert G. Lyons Sr., who passed away in 2008, by an infant daughter, Judith L. Lyons, in 1943, by her son, Robert G. Lyons Jr., who passed away from cancer in 1995,  her twin sister ,Doris C. Peterson, who passed away in 2011. a brother, Victor Gipson, in 2000. Both Dorothy’s parents passed away many years ago when she was young.

Services will be held on Saturday, May 27, at Wilson Funeral Home, 24 Shaker Rd., Gray. Visiting hours are from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.  A funeral will follow at Wilson Funeral Home beginning at 11 a.m. with the Rev. Carolyn Plummer officiating. Committal will be in Gray Cemetery. 

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