Vassalboro - Janice Dorval, 82, a resident of Vassalboro, ME, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, March 1, 2018 at Lakewood Rehabilitation Center in Waterville, ME.
Janice was born September 16, 1935 in Oakland, ME the daughter of Earl and Bessie (Knox) Bickford. Janice married Armand Dorval on October 10, 1953 in Vassalboro and they began their life together.
In 1967, Janice and Armand bought an egg farm in Vassalboro and began raising laying hens. Janice was a proud farmer, known for her ingenuity and “CAN-DO” attitude, both of which she regularly employed to resolve issues on the farm. On January 4, 1975, Janice lost the love of her life, when her husband Armand was killed in a snowmobile accident. Janice continued to operate the business on her own years after his death. Janice was an extremely capable and selfless person, addressing whatever needed to be done for her family without complaint. Whether she was tending the farm, redecorating her home, chopping wood, plowing snow or tending the vegetable garden, she was focused on getting the job done.
Family was the center of Janice’s world; she was a devoted mother, grandmother, and great grandmother who loved her family immensely. Whether she was sewing new outfits for her children and grandchildren, or tirelessly crocheting doilies in later years, Janice was dedicated to bringing joy and happiness to her family. When her grandchildren went off to college, she began a new tradition, sending “Gram’s Care Packages” that were anxiously awaited by her grandchildren and their college friends. Her great grandchildren looked forward to her special birthday cards and singing cards at Christmas.
Janice is survived by her children, spouses and grandchildren: Alan and Trudy Dorval, Brooksville, FL; Donna and Robert Goodrich, Winslow, ME; Jill and Michael Pleau, Vassalboro ME; 12 grandchildren and their families: Alan and Leah Dorval, Salt Lake City, UT and their children Lily, Sophie, and Levi; Robert Goodrich and Kat DeGroat, Salem, OR and their children Caleb, Elisabeth, Noah, Philip Goodrich, Corbin and Carson DeGroat; Brett and Katherine Goodrich, Waterville, ME and their children, Emma and Ethan; Julie and Kenneth Morse, Hampden, ME and their children, KJ, David, Sean, Daniel; Jodie and Eric Bither, Chepachet, RI and their children Julian, Beatrice, and Preston; Denylle and Steven Bouchard, Lisbon Falls, ME and their children, Kierra and Deven; Shelly and Travis Wheeler, Sabattus, ME and their children, Curtis, Alana, and Silas; Tyler Goodrich, Winslow, ME; Douglas Dorval and Megan LeMay, Wiscasset, ME and their daughter, Fern; Diana and Jeremy Verrill, Windham, ME; Ryan Pleau, Vassalboro, ME; Michael and Chelsie Pleau, Livermore Falls, ME.
Also, her sister, Elaine Collier, Oakland, ME; two brothers and their spouses: Earl and Alice Bickford, Moultonboro; NH; Jack and Dot Bickford, Sidney, ME; many special, nieces, nephews, cousins.
In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, Neil Bickford
Visiting hours will be held from 2:00 to 4:00 PM and 6:30 to 8:00 PM on Monday, March 5th at Veilleux Funeral Home, 8 Elm Street in Waterville. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 AM on Tuesday, March 6th, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 26 Monument Street in Winslow, Maine. Burial will be at the Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Augusta at a later date. Please visit www.veilleuxfuneralhome.com to share condolences, memories and tributes with her family.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Vassalboro Community Food Pantry, c/o Cynthia Ferland, 26 Ferland Lane, Vassalboro, ME 04989.
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