Obituary for Dorothy 'Dottie' Baker Ramsdell
“Those we love don’t go away,
they walk beside us every day,
unseen, unheard, but always near,
still loved, still missed, and very dear.”
— Alex MacLean
ROCKLAND — Dorothy “Dottie” Baker Ramsdell passed from this earth Feb. 14, 2022.
She died peacefully after a long year of declining health and of her own wishes fittingly, to join her loving husband David Ramsdell on Valentine’s Day and other family members waiting with open arms to embrace and welcome her.
Dottie was born on Sept. 15, 1927, in Cranston, R.I., to the late William Lopes and Julia Almeida Lopes. Dottie was predeceased by her husband of 35 years, David Ramsdell; her loving stepfather Manuel F. Morgan; her son William Baker, and his wife, Nora (Booker) Baker; daughter-in-law Barbara (Spofford) Baker; granddaughter Heather Baker; great-granddaughters Ansley Pendleton and Courtney Fields; and four brothers.
She leaves behind to carry on her love of life seven children, Cheryl (Baker) and William Willis of Maine, James and Deborah (Belyea) Baker of Maine, Sally (Baker) Shrout of Rhode Island, Richard and Tris (Moreno) Baker of Mississippi, Michael Baker of Maine, David and Betty (Libby) Baker of Maine and Lori (Baker) and Skip Brown of Florida; 19 grandchildren; 39 great-grandchildren; five great-great-grandchildren; her sister Marjorie (Morgan) Perry of Rhode Island; brother Donald Morgan of Maryland; a sister-in-law; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Dottie spent many years in Rockland working as a hostess, waitress and bartender as she raised eight children. She worked at local restaurants, the Thorndike Hotel, the Rockland Hotel, the Red Jacket and the Navigator, and she was well known for her outgoing, friendly personality. When her children were grown, it was Dottie’s time to find herself. She began playing cards with the “girls” and this became one of her favorite past times — just spending time with friends. She tried several other activities, including skiing lessons at the Snow Bowl, but sprained her ankle, sailing — and loved it — and golf, and found her niche; her love and joy. She was a natural and had five holes-in-ones notched on her golf bag, and played golf up until her decline.
She moved to Florida in 1980, where many of her Maine friends were snowbirds, but there was no snowbirding for Dottie; she loved the warm/hot weather where she could play golf 12 months a year. She married David Ramsdell on Sept. 19, 1987, and they lived in West Palm, Jupiter, and Newport Richey, before they made Fairways Country Club of Orlando their forever home. There, Dottie immediately became involved in the community and volunteered in many capacities, including COPS — she trained as a deputy and drove the security car in their community — ran the ‘Muffins’ Card Group, the Dominoes Group, called and worked Bingo, and was very active in the Fairways Women’s Golf Association (FWGA) where she kept track of birdies and did pairings.
In 2004, after her daughter Sally was diagnosed with breast cancer, Dottie got authorization from Fairways CC to start an annual golf tournament to benefit The Rally for The Cure, and in that first year with the help of a few volunteers, they raised over $3,500. She made the tournament fun by including a luncheon, a raffle of donations from local businesses and residents, a 50/50 raffle, and awarded tournament prizes. With her team of unwavering volunteers, they increased their fundraising annually.
In 2019, Dottie relinquished her leadership role to the younger women, but still participated in tournament preparations. She played in the tournament for the first time in 15 years and teamed up with her daughters, Sally and Lori, and her son-in-law, Skip.
Then, in 2020, her team consisted of her daughter Sally, son Rick, and son-in-law Skip, with daughters Lori and Cheryl riding along, and they won their flight. She was honored and surprised during the awards ceremony by the announcement the tournament would thereafter be The Dottie Ramsdell Fight for the Cure Annual Golf Tournament. They raised over $7,500 that year to benefit Libby’s Legacy Breast Cancer Foundation of Orlando. Dottie’s decline came shortly after this tournament, but she was a fighter and got back on the golf course for a short time — her niche, her love and joy.
There will be a private family gathering in the summer to celebrate her life.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Dottie’s memory would be gratefully accepted by Libby’s Legacy Breast Cancer Foundation, 112 Annie St. Orlando, Fla., 32806 (https://libbyslegacy.org/donate) or AdventHealth Hospice Care Central Florida (https://www.adventhealth.com/foundation/adventhealth-foundation-central-florida/donate-hospice-care).
they walk beside us every day,
unseen, unheard, but always near,
still loved, still missed, and very dear.”
— Alex MacLean
ROCKLAND — Dorothy “Dottie” Baker Ramsdell passed from this earth Feb. 14, 2022.
She died peacefully after a long year of declining health and of her own wishes fittingly, to join her loving husband David Ramsdell on Valentine’s Day and other family members waiting with open arms to embrace and welcome her.
Dottie was born on Sept. 15, 1927, in Cranston, R.I., to the late William Lopes and Julia Almeida Lopes. Dottie was predeceased by her husband of 35 years, David Ramsdell; her loving stepfather Manuel F. Morgan; her son William Baker, and his wife, Nora (Booker) Baker; daughter-in-law Barbara (Spofford) Baker; granddaughter Heather Baker; great-granddaughters Ansley Pendleton and Courtney Fields; and four brothers.
She leaves behind to carry on her love of life seven children, Cheryl (Baker) and William Willis of Maine, James and Deborah (Belyea) Baker of Maine, Sally (Baker) Shrout of Rhode Island, Richard and Tris (Moreno) Baker of Mississippi, Michael Baker of Maine, David and Betty (Libby) Baker of Maine and Lori (Baker) and Skip Brown of Florida; 19 grandchildren; 39 great-grandchildren; five great-great-grandchildren; her sister Marjorie (Morgan) Perry of Rhode Island; brother Donald Morgan of Maryland; a sister-in-law; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Dottie spent many years in Rockland working as a hostess, waitress and bartender as she raised eight children. She worked at local restaurants, the Thorndike Hotel, the Rockland Hotel, the Red Jacket and the Navigator, and she was well known for her outgoing, friendly personality. When her children were grown, it was Dottie’s time to find herself. She began playing cards with the “girls” and this became one of her favorite past times — just spending time with friends. She tried several other activities, including skiing lessons at the Snow Bowl, but sprained her ankle, sailing — and loved it — and golf, and found her niche; her love and joy. She was a natural and had five holes-in-ones notched on her golf bag, and played golf up until her decline.
She moved to Florida in 1980, where many of her Maine friends were snowbirds, but there was no snowbirding for Dottie; she loved the warm/hot weather where she could play golf 12 months a year. She married David Ramsdell on Sept. 19, 1987, and they lived in West Palm, Jupiter, and Newport Richey, before they made Fairways Country Club of Orlando their forever home. There, Dottie immediately became involved in the community and volunteered in many capacities, including COPS — she trained as a deputy and drove the security car in their community — ran the ‘Muffins’ Card Group, the Dominoes Group, called and worked Bingo, and was very active in the Fairways Women’s Golf Association (FWGA) where she kept track of birdies and did pairings.
In 2004, after her daughter Sally was diagnosed with breast cancer, Dottie got authorization from Fairways CC to start an annual golf tournament to benefit The Rally for The Cure, and in that first year with the help of a few volunteers, they raised over $3,500. She made the tournament fun by including a luncheon, a raffle of donations from local businesses and residents, a 50/50 raffle, and awarded tournament prizes. With her team of unwavering volunteers, they increased their fundraising annually.
In 2019, Dottie relinquished her leadership role to the younger women, but still participated in tournament preparations. She played in the tournament for the first time in 15 years and teamed up with her daughters, Sally and Lori, and her son-in-law, Skip.
Then, in 2020, her team consisted of her daughter Sally, son Rick, and son-in-law Skip, with daughters Lori and Cheryl riding along, and they won their flight. She was honored and surprised during the awards ceremony by the announcement the tournament would thereafter be The Dottie Ramsdell Fight for the Cure Annual Golf Tournament. They raised over $7,500 that year to benefit Libby’s Legacy Breast Cancer Foundation of Orlando. Dottie’s decline came shortly after this tournament, but she was a fighter and got back on the golf course for a short time — her niche, her love and joy.
There will be a private family gathering in the summer to celebrate her life.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Dottie’s memory would be gratefully accepted by Libby’s Legacy Breast Cancer Foundation, 112 Annie St. Orlando, Fla., 32806 (https://libbyslegacy.org/donate) or AdventHealth Hospice Care Central Florida (https://www.adventhealth.com/foundation/adventhealth-foundation-central-florida/donate-hospice-care).