EAST GREENWICH, R.I. – Dawn Appleby, 85, passed away peacefully at Saint Elizabeth Nursing Home in East Greenwich, R.I., on March 6, 2024, after a lengthy and courageous battle with colitis. For 63 years, Dawn was the beloved wife of Dr. Reid S. Appleby, Jr., her high school sweetheart.

Born on March 24, 1938, in Skowhegan, Dawn was the elder daughter of the late Lyndon Colby Huff and Caroline K. (Bancroft) Huff. Dawn graduated from high school in Skowhegan and attended Fisher Junior College in Boston, Mass. to become a medical secretary. She worked at Massachusetts General Hospital and for a private ophthalmologist in Boston, Mass. while supporting her husband Reid as he completed his medical training.

Dawn was an avid tennis player, an enthusiastic photographer, and a big fan of classical music. She greatly enjoyed her family and was a wonderful mother to her two children. She had a passion for redecorating her home according to the seasons of the year. She regularly frequented the East Greenwich library and in earlier years volunteered for the historical society in Providence, R.I.

Besides her husband, Dawn is survived by her son, Reid S. Appleby III (Cindy) of Wells, and her daughter, Robin S. Appleby (John Leavey) of London, England, and Norwich, Vt. She adored her three grandchildren, Lindsay Appleby Janco (Alex), Dr. Reid S. Appleby IV (Dr. Tatiana McIntyre), and Eden D. Leavey, to whom she was a loving and fun grandmother. She shared lovely childhood memories of summers at Lakewood with her younger sister, Lynda Huff Duncan (Roch LeBlanc), who lives in Bangor.

A private burial service will be held in the spring in Skowhegan.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, Providence, R.I.

Copy the Story Link