Hilda Marie Stairs

Hilda Marie Stairs, 92, passed away peacefully on May 24, 2013, surrounded by her loving children. She was born on December 4, 1920 in Calpyso, North Carolina. After graduating from high school, she moved to Baltimore, Maryland. It was there she met her husband of 55 years, Carroll Arthur Stairs, who predeceased her. She was often compared to a Timex watch. She took a lickin' and kept on tickin'. She fought cancer six times, the first time in 1952, pneumonia several times, a heart attack, several mini-strokes, and 3 months paralysis as a child. Despite these challenges she always had a great outlook on life. She loved to travel and traveled extensively with her husband, who was in the army. When he passed away, she traveled with her daughter and son-in-law, with whom she lived for the past 13 years. She loved to camp, going as far as Memphis, TN to see the homestead of her ancestor President Andrew Jackson. She visited her sister in Montana, where they visited some of the national parks. She spent the winter in Arizona where she loved to watch the golfers go by daily. She had a great love of God and was active in her church until her health prevented it. In her younger years, she was a scout leader for her three sons and daughter. She was a nurses' aid, delivered meals-on-wheels, and taught Sunday school. She loved to garden, read, and ride around the lake in the boat, kayak, and on the jet ski. She loved to tell stories of her many adventures in life. She also loved to cuddle with her great grandchildren and read to them. She is survived by her children and their spouses: Terry and Tammy Stairs of Hermon, ME, Dean and Suzan Stairs of Rockport, MA, Louanne and Vinal Doody of Windham, ME, and Don and Tammy Stairs of Hampstead, NH, grandchildren Kimberly, Melissa, Tyler, Corey and Dustin Stairs, Kira Nota and her husband Mark, Chad Doody and his wife Emilie, Melanie Hinkle and her husband Ray, and great grandchildren Moriah, Shiloh, and Elijah Doody, Toby and Zoe Nota, and Guinevere Hinkle. A Celebration of Life, with reception to follow, will be held on Sunday, June 2, 2013 at 2 pm at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, 151 W. Gray Rd, Gray, Maine. She will be interred at Waugh Cemetery, Levant, Maine on Monday, June 3. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Myositis Organization for DM research at www.myositis.org or 1737 King Street, Suite 600, Alexandria, VA 22314.