SOUTH PARIS — Beatrice “Mavis” Ayer died Saturday, Oct. 2, at Market Square Health Care Center in South Paris where she had been a resident since March 2003.

Mavis was born on Feb. 10, 1919, the daughter of Harold and Phoebe (Virgo) Hooper in Charters Towers, Queensland, Australia. Her brother, Norman Louis Hooper was born exactly two years after Mavis on February 10, 1921, and died in 1989 in Australia.

She met Army Staff Sgt. Leonard Eugene Ayer in Australia when he was stationed there during World War II and they were married there on Aug. 27, 1942. He continued his service commitment and at age 23, she left her homeland and boarded a steamship along with many other young Aussie girls all alone to cross the ocean and come to America. They landed at Ellis Island and Mavis made her way to Maine. Leonard caught up with her in South Paris and they lived locally for the rest of their lives. Leonard died in 1992 at the age of 81.

One of Mavis’s proudest moments was when she became an American citizen on Nov. 3, 1975. Mavis worked as a sales clerk in J.J. Newberry’s on Main Street for 30 years. She was known as the “tiny little lady with the accent.” She was only able to visit her beloved Australia once after she left.

Mavis was a 60-year member of the Deering Memorial United Methodist Church in South Paris. She was a friend to many including all the cats in the neighborhood and always had one or two in her home. Her favorite pastimes were letter writing, crocheting, knitting and gardening. She won many awards at local fairs for her vegetables, flowers, doilies and sweaters.

She is survived by her cousins, Jean Hooper and Shirley Hooper, who live in Australia.

Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.oxfordhillsfuneralservices.com.