1963 – 2015

LEWISTON — Karen A. (Henderson) Doughty, 52, of Otisfield, passed away at Central Maine Medical Center on Wednesday, Sept. 2, of diabetes related complications. She had been a resident of Marshwood Healthcare in Lewiston for several months.

She was born in Norway on May 29, 1963. She attended schools in Spring Valley, Calif., Whidbey Island, Wash., Ewa Beach, Hawaii, Manassas Park, Va., South Paris and Brunswick. She is a graduate of Brunswick High School, Class of 1981.

After graduating from high school, she worked as a dental assistant and office manager for Dr. Harry Abelon in Brunswick. Subsequent to that, she was employed as a civil servant for several years with the Railroad Retirement Board in Portland, until the onset of serious medical issues resulted in her becoming disabled.

To enable her to better cope with the disabilities, she was drawn to warmer climates during the winter months for a few years visiting Florida and Arizona, but always returning to Maine to spend time with her family and enjoy the New England summers. Until she could no longer withstand the pain, one of her thrills was an occasional motorcycle ride.

During her spare time, she loved to work on arts and crafts such as painting, crocheting and knitting, nurturing her house plants and raising vegetables on her deck. She loved to bake for the holidays, but her favorite pasttime was caring for her cat, Bluzey, whom, we thankfully found a good home.

To the very end, Karen possessed the will to fight the dreadful onset of diabetic symptoms; such as, the loss of both legs, both kidneys, pancreas and gradual loss of her eye sight. She was always her own advocate and her care givers knew who was “driving the bus” and they liked that about her.

She is survived by her parents, Glenice and Quentin Henderson of Otisfield; sons, Quentin Doughty and his friend, Nicole, of Lisbon, Zachary Doughty and his wife, Nikki; granddaughter, MacKenna of Bowdoin; and grandson, Julius; brothers, Troy Henderson of Otisfield and his friend, Amy, of Delaware, Danny Henderson and his wife, Alexandra, of Saratoga Springs, N.Y.; and also several aunts, uncles and cousins.

She was predeceased by her maternal grandparents, Walter and Dorothy Johnson; paternal grandparents, John Henderson, Anna and Louis Woodworth; aunts, Sara Henderson Heskett and Glenna Johnson Dresser (twin sister to Glenice); and uncle, Thomas Henderson.

She will be sadly missed by all who had the opportunity to make her acquaintance and share her outgoing friendly personality.

Condolences may be shared with her family at www.chandlerfunerals.com.