SCARBOROUGH — Dorothy Crandell, 86, died May 14 in her home, from conditions related to Alzheimer’s.

She was born on April 8, 1928, in Burnley, Lancashire, England to Dr. and Mrs. John B. Jackson. She met her husband, Donald, when they became neighbors prior to World War II. They were married in 1947 at the Jubilee Methodist Church in Burnley. They left for the U.S. in 1948, sailing on the RMS Queen Mary, and moved to Chicago. After three years, he was sent to manage a plant in Geneva, New York. This was where they began their family; five children in four years with two sets of twins born two years apart. Another company relocation took them to Canton, Ohio, until he retired and they moved to Scarborough.

They both loved to travel. From 1949 onward they made regular trips to England as well as traveling to Australia to visit his sister and family, the Far East, India, Central America and Europe. She also traveled extensively with her daughter, Sharon, to China, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Russia, Italy, France and Eastern Europe. Many trips with the whole family were made both to England and across America. Crandell had a wonderful sense of humor and loved to sing, laugh and dance. She enjoyed the theater, and music, especially classical, was very important to her. She attended Portland Symphony concerts well into her battle with Alzheimer’s.

She also loved to play cards, and was a particularly keen bridge player. She was a wonderfully creative cook and liked to keep busy with knitting, crafts, sewing and just helping anyone who needed a hand. She loved to be outdoors. In her youth, she was a champion diver; and gave up diving just three years ago. She was a very faithful person, a hard worker, and an organizer, and served on many church boards and committees in her life.

She is survived by her daughters, Sharon Stephenson, and husband, Roy, of Buxton and Marsha Shoemaker, of Scarborough; sons, David Crandell and Darrell Crandell, both of South Portland, and Mark Crandell and wife, Elizabeth, of Westbrook; and four grandsons, John Crandell, Travis Shoemaker, Jason Shoemaker, and Craig Shoemaker. The family is extremely grateful to Marsha for serving as her mother’s caregiver for the past five years.

There will be a celebration of her life at Woodfords Church in Portland on June 14 at 10 a.m. Arrangements by Conroy-Tully Crawford Funeral Home, 172 State St., Portland.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Hospice of Southern Maine, 180 U.S. Route 1, Suite 1, Scarborough, ME 04074, or the Alzheimer’s Association of Maine, 383 US Route 1, Suite 2C, Scarborough, ME 04074.

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