DURHAM – Dorothy (Smith) Longway, 82, died peacefully at her home in Durham on Dec. 24 after a brief illness.

“Dot” was born on Dec. 27, 1922, in Massachusetts. She was one of four children born to George and Catherine Smith. They moved several times before locating in Freeport.

Growing up in Freeport, Dot enjoyed many activities. As a teenager, she was on the high school basketball team, involved in many school functions, and along with family members she enjoyed dancing and acting in minstrel shows.

As a single mom, she earned a living working at Freeport Shoe. Extra income came from her exceptional ability at sewing. Just before Christmas, it was not unusual to see her living room filled with teddy bears, dolls, doll clothes and cloth animals, all of which were sold, so that she could buy Christmas gifts for her three children.

In 1965, she married Harold Longway. They built a home on Royalsborough Road in Durham and had lived there ever since.

She continued to work at Freeport Shoe and then later at Eastland Shoe until she retired.

Throughout all those years, she assisted Harold with vegetable gardens, raising chickens and selling eggs.

She was an avid flower gardener, and for years everyone driving on the Royalsborough Road have had the pleasure of seeing her gardens as they drove by. She continued sewing, but also mastered cake decorating, sewing wedding gowns, knitting, crocheting, and quilting winning many blue ribbons at the local County Fairs.

Dot was the historian of the family, and kept many scrapbooks to document all the events. She was still driving, quilting and making dolls until her eyesight failed this past summer.

For almost 50 years, Dot had been a member of the J. Arthur Stowell No. 83 American Legion Auxiliary of Freeport. Most of the time she held an officer’s position, and was President at the time of her passing. Their contribution to charity was phenomenal and she was a leader in many of those projects.

She is survived by her beloved husband, Harold W. Longway, of Royalsborough Road, Durham; daughter and son-in-law, Pamela (Palmer) and Earl Silver of Williamsburg, Va.; son, Cary G. Palmer of South Freeport; daughter and son-in-law Kathy (Palmer) and LTC. Walter Parker of Spotsylvania, Va.; a sister and brother-in-law, Florence (Pat) and Pleem Jewett of Pownal; sister-in-law, Doris Smith of Florida; sister-in-law, Phyllis Shank of Durham; sister and brother-in-law, Josephine and Norma Bulick of Lisbon Falls; sister-in-law, Madelyn Lincoln of North Waterboro; sister-in-law, Hilda McCarthy of Harmony; eight grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom she was extremely proud of and has always remembered their birthdays, anniversaries, illnesses and accomplishments.

An event never went by, whether you were family or friend that you didn’t hear from her, either by a card, phone call or being presented with one of her specialty hand-crafted gifts. She was a mentor to many and cherished by all and her passing leaves a void in many lives.

She was predeceased by her parents, George and Catherine Smith of Freeport; and two brothers, Bobby Smith of Massachusetts, who died as a very young child, and Francis “Buster” Smith of Florida.

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