Obituary of Lillian May Little

Lillian May (Curtis) Little passed away peacefully on May 21, 2016 at her home at Sunbury Village in Bangor. She was surrounded in her final days by her loving family, who will miss her greatly. Lillian was born in Belfast Maine in 1933. She graduated from Belfast High school and Westbrook Junior College of Portland with an associate degree in business. After graduation she moved to Boston, MA and worked in an office of Metcalf and Eddy Engineering Co. She lived in Boston for two years while her fiancee' served in the Army during the Korean Conflict. She married Raymond Melville Little of Portland after his return in 1955. Following their marriage, Lillian and Raymond lived in a series of locations which included homes in Jackson Heights, NY, Lindon, NJ, Rochester and Utica NY, Elizabeth NJ, Creve Couer, MO, and Wheaton, IL before returning to her native state of Maine. Her four children - Roy, Bruce, Joyce and Kristen - were born during this time. She returned to Maine in 1971 and picked out a farm in Hermon, ME to finally settle down. She and Raymond lived there for 29 years before they retired together to a house they built on the shore of Sebasticook Lake in Newport. The housebuilding was Lillian's project, and overseeing the construction was something she enjoyed, though "sticking to a budget was quite a challenge", she said. Lillian had a lifelong interest in home design and decoration, and was always a creative homemaker. Lillian had a special interest in arts and crafts. A painting class she took in New Jersey was an especially fond memory and her painting from that class is a family treasure. She also enjoyed sewing, knitting, and embroidery. She was a dedicated mother, and when her children were young she enjoyed camping, canoeing, and bicycle riding with them. Lillian was an active community volunteer wherever she lived, and gave her time to local PTA's, the Boy Scouts of America, the Salvation Army, the Penobscot County Agricultural Extension Service, the Maine State Fair, and the Bangor Flower Show. In her later years she had a great interest in raising dogs, always having a Labrador retriever or two about the house, and frequently a litter of puppies underfoot. Lillian and Ray shared an interest in travel and visited every state in America. They traveled extensively in eastern Canada and took a cruise in the Caribbean and in Costa Rica where she once had a monkey sit on her head! She traveled by car, bus, tall ship, cruise ship, train, and plane. Together with Raymond she operated their small farm, owned the Mister Donut Store in Bangor and the Feedbag Restaurant in Brewer, and made a bed & breakfast at their Hermon home which they called Hamstead Farm. They were appreciated by many of their repeat visitors for their hospitality and Lillian's good cooking. Lillian was the daughter of Rena (Smith) Whitney and Clifford Curtis, both of Belfast, ME. Lillian's younger sister, Virginia (Curtis) Ramsey is deceased. Lillian has two surviving brothers, Steven Curtis of Belfast, and Brian Curtis of North Fork, CA. Her husband Raymond predeceased her in 2012. Her four children, six grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren live in Maine, California, Utah, Michigan, Kansas, and Idaho. A memorial service will be held 2 PM Thursday, May 26, 2016 at Sunbury Village, 922 Ohio St, Bangor. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be directed to the Bangor Humane Society, 693 B Mt. Hope Ave., Bangor, ME 04401. A private family interment ceremony will be held at Maine Veteran's Memorial Cemetery, Augusta at a later date. Arrangements by Kiley & Foley Funeral Service, 299 Union St., Bangor. Messages and memories may be share with her family at kileyandfoley.com.