https://www.rep-am.com/obituaries/2024/04/22/doris-guillet-maitland/
WINSTED – Doris Guillet Maitland passed away on April 19, 2024, a
victim of Alzheimer’s disease.
She was the oldest child of Roland and Beatrice (Cyr) Guillet, born in
Waterbury. Doris graduated from St. Anne’s elementary school and
Waterbury Catholic High School. She then enrolled at Teachers College of
Connecticut and graduated in 1955.
In that year she began her teaching career at Bucks Hill School in
Waterbury where she taught first grade for five years. Other jobs
included Goshen Center School, St. Anne’s School, and Bethlehem
Consolidated School. Doris then taught at Plymouth Center School.
She retired in 1989 with 30 years of service. Although she seldom
mentioned it she was very proud that she had taught more than five
hundred first-graders to read.
While Doris was in college she met her future husband, David Maitland.
They were married in 1957. During the next seven years they had four
sons and built a home in Morris, where they lived for 35 years.
Both teachers, they had the same winter vacations. Beginning around
1970, they tried to get to a sunny beach in February, usually in the
Caribbean or Mexico. Summers were also great for travel.
Their first big trip was in 1971. They spent six weeks in Europe,
touring in a VW Bus with their four boys and Doris’s mother; travel was
an important part of their lives. They visited five continents, missing
only Australia and Antarctica. Two outstanding trips were rafting
through the Grand Canyon and a safari in Kenya.
Doris had many interests. She loved the theater and ballet and
frequently attended both. She was talented in arts and crafts. Her
gardens were things of beauty and the vegetables she raised were
delicious.
She took classes in ballet, yoga, Pilates, and in her seventies scared
her family when she demonstrated what she had learned in kick boxing.
She loved to hike and climbed Mt. Washington. In her eighties she would
walk almost every day, 3 miles in 45 minutes.
Although she was not a big fan of ball games she attended soccer,
basketball, and baseball games when her sons and grandchildren were
playing. She did become an avid wrestling fan when two of her sons were
wrestling.
When Doris retired much of her time was committed in two areas. She was
a spiritual person; she had always wanted to attend mass daily and now
she had more time. She also became active in church affairs and became
an extraordinary minister.
When she moved from Morris in 1996 her focus switched to Lourdes Shrine.
Doris volunteered there for the next 20 years, changing beds, and doing
laundry at “the Big House” and preparing food in the cafeteria. If
anything was needed the Shrine knew it could count on Doris.
Nearly an equal amount of her time was spent trying to bring her
brother home. Andre Guilett was a combat controller shot down over Laos
in 1967; he is still Missing in Action.
Doris was active in the Connecticut Forget-Me-Nots and the National
League of Families of Prisoners of War and Missing in Action in
Southeast Asia. She served as Connecticut coordinator for that group and
was also involved in the VFW’s attempt to “Bring Them Home.” Doris
attended vigils all over the state and became an effective public
speaker as an advocate for veteran’s affairs.
Doris was supported in all her endeavors by her family. Her sister,
Lillian Beauvilliers, was her best friend and travel companion with her
husband, John. Four sons survive her: David and his wife Pat, Jaime,
Peter and his wife Gina, and Richard and his friend Mary Moore.
She loved and took care of her grandchildren and is survived by: Ryan,
Melissa and husband Jake Tufano, AJ, and Amanda and her husband Andrew
Gatewood; her great-grandchildren are Lennox Tufano and Maxwell Gatewood.
She will always be remembered and loved by her husband of almost 67
years, David Maitland.
Contributions in lieu of flowers can be made to Lourdes Shrine. To send
the family an online condolence, kindly visit
thurstonrowefuneralhome.com. |
