Dorothy Mary (Walsh) Maitland, 89, of Lincoln, passed unexpectedly and peacefully on Tuesday, Jan. 31st, 2012, at the Steere House Nursing Center in Providence where she'd lived for ten months. She was the beloved wife of Robert Leo Maitland, who preceded her in death in March 2011.

Born in Pawtucket, to Eva (Genest) Walsh of Quebec, Canada and Christopher Walsh of Accrington, England, Dot married Bob and moved to Lincoln in 1952. She leaves their two daughters, Joan E. Ayotte and her husband Gene Ayotte of Cumberland, and Mary Ann Mayer and her husband Carl Peter Mayer of Sharon, MA. She is also missed by her brother, Rev. Clyde J. Walsh of Pawtucket and devoted nieces and nephews, Ginny Maitland, SSJ, Maureen Wilson, Frank, Bob, and Terry Maitland.

Dot was both quiet and vivacious. She had remarkable vitality, physical grace and agility until the day she passed away. In her youth, she played tennis avidly, was an acrobat and a tap dancer. In the 1930's, she tap-danced on a weekly radio show and performed at area theatres and hotels with "Buddy & His Gang" troupe.

Her love of life was combined with a strong religious faith. After graduating from Pawtucket High School in 1940, she entered the community of the Sisters of St. Joseph as a postulant. Afterwards, she attended Tabott-Hubbard Business school and worked at NE Telephone Company as a teletype operator. There, she met and married Bob Maitland, an installer-repairman. For the next 58 years, they didn't stop talking.

Dot loved to work both in and outside the home. She took life-long pleasure in style and clothing. As a young mother, she worked at The New York Lace Store in fashion retail. She then became a senior-clerk typist for the State of Rhode Island, working for many years at Davies Vocational School. In retirement, she was a church volunteer, resumed tennis, and began her own "milk & pastry route," delivering to friends and home-bound people. Her own special talent was pie-baking (legendary and will be missed).

Her later pleasures were homemaking, reading, helping neighbors, dog-walking, a good lobster roll, and beaches: Narragansett, Longboat Key, Old Orchard. Dot will be remembered for her joy in people, her grateful, gentle nature, and her radiant smile.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday at 9:00 am at Lincoln Funeral Home, 1501 Lonsdale Ave., Lincoln with a Mass of Christian burial at 10:00 am in St. Jude Church, Front St. Lincoln. Interment will follow at Mount St. Mary's Cemetery, East Providence.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Sisters of St. Joseph, Development Office, 34 Lower Westfield Rd., Holyoke, MA 01040.

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