Dee LaCasce, a resident at Piper Shores in Scarborough, passed away peacefully on April 1 after a long illness.  Born December 12, 1936, Dee was the oldest of three daughters to Dorothy Knapp Hatch and Charles Winn Hatch of Horseheads, New York. In 1942, the family moved to Ocean Park, where the children enjoyed riding bikes and playing on Old Orchard Beach. At Old Orchard Beach High School, Dee sang in the chorus and, most notably, played basketball. At 6 feet tall, she was a formidable center and a leading scorer.

After graduating, she attended the Maine Medical Center School of Nursing. The faculty noticed Dee's gift for teaching and, upon graduation, she was offered a position as junior faculty, which she enthusiastically accepted. Her passion for nursing and teaching blossomed as she continued her studies at Boston University, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in nursing education in 1962.

On November 22, 1963, Dee left Boston for Bangor where her fiancé, Joe, met her at the bus station. By the time she arrived, President Kennedy had just been assassinated. Yet, despite the shocking news, they drove to Ellsworth and were married in Judge Shirley Povich's living room. Judge Povich interrupted his wife Helen's bridge party so she could serve as a witness. For most Americans, 11/22/63 was a dark day for American democracy, but for the LaCasces, it was also their wedding anniversary.

The two settled in Ellsworth where Joe, after finishing his medical training in Portland, had accepted a position at the newly built Maine Coast Memorial Hospital. Together, they raised three children, Joe, Ann and Barbara. Dee enjoyed being home, but as soon as the kids had left for college, she immediately returned to teaching, this time in the science department at Ellsworth High School. She absolutely loved the interactions with the students and the other teachers. She retired in 1999, soon after Joe retired from medicine.

Ellsworth was immensely important to Dee.  She served for years on the school board and was an active member of several churches, including St. Dunstan's Episcopal, St. Andrew Lutheran and St. Christopher's by the Sea in Winter Harbor. She led fundraising events for the schools and the hospital, and worked for years at Everybody Eats. Dee was never interested in traveling, simply because she preferred being in Ellsworth.

Dee was predeceased by her parents, her sisters, Barbara and Janet, and husband Joe. She leaves behind three children: Joe (and Jessie), Ann (and Ed) and Barbara (and John), as well as grandchildren Johannes, Sebastian, Eden and Henry. They will all miss her very much.  The family is deeply grateful to the outstanding and compassionate staff at Piper Shores, who cared for her in her final years. A celebration of life will take place in Ellsworth in July. In lieu of flowers, donations could be made to the Alzheimer's Association of Maine ( www.alz.org/maine).