Mildred A. Kaulakis Backer Dumais
1918 – 2009
LEWISTON — Mildred A. Kaulakis Backer Dumais, 91, died on Nov. 11, at St. Mary’s Regional Medical center after a period of declining health.
She was born Aug. 16, 1918, in Lewiston, the daughter of the late Alex and Veronica Stasulis Kaulakis. She spent her childhood in Lewiston and Auburn. She graduated from Edward Little High School in 1936, and graduated from Central Maine General Hospital School of Nursing in 1941.
She served as a registered nurse in the U.S. Navy and was discharged in 1945. She then spent several years doing private duty nursing and office nursing in the Portland area. She married Edward A. Backer in November 1945.
For several years, she worked in Portland at Seaboard Finance. They made their home in Portland and later Harpswell and Bradenton, Fla. She worked as a charge nurse at Manatee Memorial Hospital in Bradenton, Fla., and did private duty nursing until her retirement. After 31 years of marriage, she was widowed in 1976.
In March 1988, she married Roland Dumais and moved from Florida to Lewiston-Auburn. She and Roland were married for 18 years until his death in 2007. During her time in Lewiston-Auburn, she was an active volunteer at Central Maine Medical Center, a member of the 1918 club and the Woman’s Literary Union until she developed health problems.
She will be remembered for her generosity, love of family and friends and her sense of humor.
She always loved to party. Her interests included cooking, knitting, needlework and crafts . She always had a beautiful garden and loved being outside. She was a great lover of miniature poodles and had many dogs during her lifetime. She will be sadly missed by her family and many friends.
She is survived by her nieces, Barbara Buxton of Orwell, Vt., Patricia Hopkins of Rumford and Kathy Nadeau of Cumberland Foreside; her nephew, Jerry Kaul of Brewer; and several grand and great-nieces and nephews. She will also be missed by her dog, Hope.
Besides her parents, she was predeceased by her brothers, Charles Kaul and Aldon “Jake” Kaulakis; and a sister, Alberna “Binny” Lewis.
The family would like to thank Montello Heights, d’Youville Pavilion and her special helper Rita Nichols for their compassionate care during her last years.