PORTLAND – Beloved sister, wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Dolores H. Lembeck died unexpectedly on May 2, 2024, from complications of emergency surgery.

Mom grew up in New Jersey with her two younger sisters, Patricia Jezercak and Frances Morrione. After marrying Robert E. Lembeck, Sr. in 1952 she and Daddy raised their four children there. While raising her children Mom enrolled in college, encouraged by a dear friend who had also recently started going to college. Mom graduated from William Paterson University with both an undergraduate degree and master’s degree in media studies and was very proud of her accomplishments. Daddy supported and encouraged her throughout her educational endeavors. She became a school librarian, the perfect job for such a book lover as she was.

When Mom and Daddy retired they moved to The Villages in Florida where they lived happily for over 20 years, traveling often to many countries by plane or cruise ship. “Happiness is your name on an airline ticket” was Mom’s mantra.

After Daddy’s death in 2017, Mom moved to Portland to be closer to her children. She lived independently at Park Danforth for over three years and loved living in Maine! She made numerous friends at Park Danforth, often commenting how lovely her community of friends were.

Mom enjoyed the very idea of being a “Mainer” and often said how truly happy she was to be living where she was. Mom was a great cook and baker! She loved to sing, have meals at Becky’s, especially their German Chocolate Cake, Smiling Hill Farm ice cream sundaes (Moose Tracks was her favorite flavor,) European dark chocolate, especially Leonidas, the Oxford Casino, “baby” bingo at Park Danforth, shopping at Market Basket, all cooking, medical and British television shows, seeing the daffodils in the Laurel Hill Cemetery in the spring and driving around, making comments about how beautiful and varied the architecture of Portland was. Her interest and curiosity about everything around her were boundless.

Mom is survived by her sisters, their spouses; her children, Sue LaSala (Jerry) of Portland, Robert Lembeck (Cynthia) of Annandale, N.J., Carol Yacco (Mark) of Nashua, N.H., Janet Marotta (Steve) of Little Silver, N.J.; 12 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren who will miss her terribly.

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