LISBON - Rosemarie Lane, the first woman to serve as a state commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in New England, died Saturday at the Maine Veterans' Home in South Paris. She was 63.

"She did a very good job," said Randy Worthley of Winslow, who served as state commander directly after Lane and remembers appointing her as legislative chairman. "I picked the best (person) I could have."

Last month, Lane was presented with a Congressional award for her service to her country. She was also given a plaque by Congressman Michael Michaud from the U.S. House of Representatives for her contributions as a member of the Armed Services and her achievements with the VFW.

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., she joined the Army in 1963. She volunteered to serve in Vietnam, a tour that lasted almost a year. While there, she worked as an administrator in Saigon.

In 1973, upon leaving Vietnam, Lane worked as a drill instructor at bases around the country and in Germany.

In 1986, she retired from the Army as a master sergeant. That year she also left New York for Lisbon. By the time she joined the Veterans of Foreign Wars in 1992, she had spent 23 years in the Army.

In the VFW, Lane commanded Post 9459 in Lisbon and District 9. In June 2003, she was elected Maine's state commander. She was the first female member in a New England state to achieve the distinction.

After her yearlong term, Lane continued to serve the VFW on its National Legislative Committee.

Very little information related to Lane's death has been released. "What was going on was so quiet," said James Bachelder, who served as Maine's state commander from 2007 to 2008. "I understand privacy," he said, but "it's difficult when you have someone like Rose, who has been so strong in the running of the post in Lisbon."

Andre Dumas, adjutant for the Maine VFW, said he expects services to be held for Lane in the near future.

"The veterans of Maine have lost a dear friend and a tireless leader," said Michaud in a statement released Monday.