RUMFORD – Jane deFrees believed in people and in her community. And perhaps above all, she believed speaking the truth was the best way to achieve success.

She died unexpectedly Thursday morning at her home on the East Andover Road at the age of 70.

“She was a role model for everyone and such a sincere and committed person. I can’t think of a loss that would be greater to the area,” said Karl Aromaa, librarian at Rumford Public Library and friend of Jane, and her husband, Burt, for 22 years.

Scores of people in the Rumford area, and way beyond, were mourning the death of a woman who brought great intellect and optimism to the dozens of organizations and projects she participated in through the years.

Deb Burd, director of the Western Mountains Alliance, said deFrees, a founding member, was a crucial mentor when as she began her work with the alliance.

“She firmly pointed me in the right direction and gave me affirmation of my work,” said Burd.

DeFrees spoke softly and looked at all sides before making a decision.

Longtime friend Joe Sirois, administrator at Oxford County ARC, said deFrees’ membership in the local Unitarian/Universalist Fellowship, of which she was a founding member, fitted her philosophy of life completely.

“It says there are many sources of the truth, and we find truth in ourselves and to respect everyone’s faith and truth. She was a dear, dear friend to me and to everyone,” he said.

Aromaa said deFrees knew how to make a committee work. “She had the big picture and she knew how to get people together. And she never seemed to get discouraged,” he said.

That optimism and hope was tested a few years ago when her farm caught fire and was destroyed.

“She was a woman of incredible strength and staying power. When their house burned down, she weathered that. The very first day after the fire she said, You know what? People are more important than things,'” said Linda Macgregor, a close friend who served on many projects with deFrees.

When the Macgregors first moved to Rumford on a permanent basis in 1997, deFrees was one of the people she talked with about the community.

“We hit it off tremendously. We spoke the same language in politics and literature and so much more,” she said.

But perhaps even more important to Macgregor, was deFrees’ optimism.

“She was a very positive person that enabled her to be a great help to individuals and organizations. She always found the bright side of something, and I tend to be too critical. She would say, `Hey, look at this side!'”

Macgregor and deFrees worked together on the River Park Committee, River Valley Healthy Communities board and the Western Maine Alliance board, among other organizations.

DeFrees’ commitment to service reflected a belief her mother instilled in her many years ago to get involved.

In an interview conducted 4 years ago, deFrees said, “I believe in doing what you can to help people. I get very upset when people don’t get a fair shot. I was brought up with a very strong sense of responsibility to the community you live in. I believe people should contribute something to it, and I’m not afraid of standing up and raising an issue.”

Over the years, she founded an alternative school with her husband and participated in dozens of organizations including the Rotary, Tri-County Mental Health Service board, the State Board of Education, and the Rumford School Board.

Of the many things that can complicate working things out, she believed telling untruths was one of the worst.

“What frustrates me is when people don’t tell the truth, misrepresent the truth or use the structure to curtail any valid discussion. I’ve always been a great believer in truth-telling. People can make good decisions when they know the truth,” she had said.

She will be greatly missed, her friends said.

“She leaves the community with such a feeling of emptiness,” said Sirois.

“I just loved Jane. She was a great lover of life who adored her children and worshiped her husband,” said Macgregor.