DOVER-FOXCROFT -Suzanne (“Suz,” “Sue,” or “Suzie”) Carole Stacy, friend to one and all, passed away on Christmas Day following two years of declining health. While an only child, the closeness of Suz and her extended family was such that it will be said that she died with two sisters and two nieces at her bedside.

Suzanne entered the world on March 12, 1944, in Dover–Foxcroft, Maine, and has lit up every room she’s been in ever since. Daughter of the late George J. Stacy and Laura (Towle) Stacy, she grew up as the loving friend, role model, and exasperated babysitter for her hometown cousins: Anne (Hayes) Whittaker, Sara Hayes, and Jane (Hayes) Stitham.

Suz graduated from Foxcroft Academy in 1962, and Gorham State Teachers College (now the University of Southern Maine) in 1966. She was the beloved first–grade school teacher for two generations of South Portland students, starting countless children down their educational paths for sixteen years at Lincoln School and another eighteen at Dyer Elementary School.

Suzanne took early retirement in June of 2000, to return home to be with her mother, who was flagging in health. With this decision, she not only added many years of enjoyment to her mother’s life, but also gifted Piscataquis County with one of its most dedicated volunteers. She was a devoted member of the UCC Congregational Church, and could always be counted on to spend hours painstakingly transforming a bulletin board in the Sunday School wing into a magical holiday display, or as an enthusiastic volunteer in the nursery, taking pride in each and every child’s accomplishments as if they were her own. Suz likewise brought seasonal touches to all the bulletin boards at Pine Tree Hospice.

Suzanne loved people, first and foremost. She will be missed by every wandering child, stray animal, and lonely shut–in, each of whom she doted on in turn. Whether it was taking friends for her famous “Moose hunts” up past Kokadjo, crafting handmade Halloween packages for the kids in town, or helping the elderly with errands—Suz was always around to add an extra sparkle to everyday life.

Suz spent her winters on Grange Street and has best been described as the glue that held that neighborhood together. Her summers were spent at her cozy camp on Cottonbrook Road, with the best view of Borestone Mountain on Sebec Lake. Until the effects of ill–health crept in, Suz enjoyed swimming and counting the loons at her camp, walking around town and checking in with any residents she passed, and, in her younger days, snowmobiling in and about Piscataquis County—often spotted with a distinctive, floppy–knit hat in lieu of a helmet.

She is survived by her cherished first cousins and their families: Anne and Robert Whittaker, and their daughters Megan and Carrie Whittaker, all of New York; Sara Hayes and Jim Chute of Freeport, Maine, and their children Ethan Hayes–Chute (partner, Dafna Maimon) of Germany and Bethany Hayes–Chute (partner, Nick Leen) also of Maine; Jane and Kevin Stitham of Dover–Foxcroft, and their children Stacy Stitham (spouse, Nick Meservier) and Ryan Stitham (spouse, Nastasha (Horvath) Stitham and son, Dean Patrick Stitham) also of Maine; and Carole Grant, and her children Kenneth, Jeanine, and Rob. She also leaves behind her cousins Arthur and Peggy Meade, Curtis Hatch, and Noreen Stuart.

Compounding our community’s collective loss is the fact that the global pandemic has disrupted our ability to join together in that most basic of human rites, a celebration of a life well lived by those who loved her well. A remembrance service will be held this summer, when we can once more gather together for a proper farewell. Details to be published when plans are finalized. Arrangements are in the care of the Lary Funeral Home. Condolences and memories may be expressed at http://www.laryfuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Dover–Foxcroft Thompson Free Library, Center Theatre, or Pine Tree Hospice.

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