SCARBOROUGH — Dorothy “Dottie” B. (Swindells) Kay, 90, of Lewiston passed away Monday, March 20, at the Gosnell Memorial Hospice House in Scarborough.

She was born in Lewiston on July 13, 1926, the daughter of James and Alice (Burpee) Swindells. Dottie graduated from Lewiston High in 1946, where she was named homecoming queen her senior year.

Dottie is predeceased by her high school sweetheart and husband of 67 years, Dr. Douglas H. Kay. Following the wedding, her father-in-law sent them on a voyage across the Atlantic to South Hampton, England; yet, when she reminisced about the journey, it was like it just happened yesterday. Upon their return, they moved to Melrose, Mass., and began building their life together by starting a family. They soon moved to Upper St. Clair, Pittsburgh, for more than 20 years and vacationed summers in Hills Beach, Biddeford. Just prior to retiring, she and her husband moved full time to Hills Beach where they spent the remainder of their years.

Dottie was a very active politician, becoming an alderman-at-large in both Melrose and Pittsburgh. She was also a longtime member of the Eastern Star. Her friends will remember her keen sense of style, love of reading — sometimes reading a book a day, and genuine fondness of chocolate. Her family will remember her for the encouragement and support she showed her husband while becoming an avid traveler in this endeavor. She traveled extensively, including overseas to China and Japan, as well as Hawaii. After retiring to Hills Beach, you could most often find her in the rose garden, sitting in the sunroom soaking in the sun and enjoying the beauty of the ocean, or drinking a glass of wine at sunset.

Surviving are her son, Douglas Kay and his wife, Lucie (Dunigan) Kay, of Biddeford; her daughter, Donna (Kay) Sexauer and her husband, David, of Pittsburgh, Pa.; her grandchildren, James Kay of Manchester, N.H., Deanna Kay, of Lake Tahoe, Calif., David Sexauer, of Pittsburgh, Pa., Jacqueline Perry of Lyman, Amanda Dunigan of Windham; and her great-grandchildren, Gabriella and Carter Perry, of Lyman.

The family wishes to express appreciation and gratitude to the Gosnell Memorial Hospice House caregivers for their exceptional, compassionate care and respect while caring for Dottie during her final days.

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