Dorothy H. Pitman, 98, passed away on Saturday, May 27 2023, at the Meredith Bay Colony Club in Meredith, New Hampshire.

Dot was born on March 9, 1925 in Lisbon, NH, the only child of Mildreth and Melvin Haynes. She attended school in Lisbon and told stories of attending school in the 4th grade in a chicken coop, walking a mile to school — and back and forth for lunch — playing basketball and playing the church organ.

She recently shared with her children many stories of growing up, and a few days before her passing rode with them around the Lisbon area reliving those wonderful times. She had summer jobs working at hotels on the coast of Maine and in the White Mountains, including being a Hat Check Girl at the Mountain View Grand Hotel in Whitefield.

Dot met the love of her life, Vaughan Pitman, at the University of New Hampshire in art class where, after meeting her the first day of class, he gallantly saved a seat next to him with a sign he made that said “Saved for the Artist.” Vaughan always called her “ONE IN A MILLION.” They were married the year she graduated, in 1947. Vaughan adored and loved her until he died in 2012 after 65 years of marital bliss. Dot and Vaughan lived on Lake Opechee in Laconia, where Vaughan worked with his father Charles Pitman who owned and operated the Pitman Hosiery Mill. They later moved to Peterborough for a year and then moved back to Laconia before moving to Hollis. They loved camping before camping was popular and had many camping trips with family and friends in their Holiday Rambler with one of their favorite places being Hermit Island in Maine, or anywhere on the Maine coast. Other trips included an RV trek cross country, travels out west and many to Florida. They later had a permanent trailer site at Mayo Farm on Lake Waukewan in Center Harbor, and also enjoyed hiking and skiing, including great times at The Gilford Ski Club many years back.

The stories and fun times seemed endless, and Dot cherished these memories always. Her son Rodney had a magic-performance business called More Than Meets the Eye where Rodney was Jug Head and his mom was Daffodil the Clown. She loved the times she spent performing with Rodney and the magic show props made by Rod and Vaughan.

Dot was very active in her Hollis community and church, and early on did substitute teaching and was an Educator and Outreach Worker for Nashua Family Planning — and delivered Nashua Meals on Wheels well into her 90s which she loved doing. She was active in the Hollis Woman’s Club and was the UCC Women’s Fellowship Treasurer for years, along with the Hollis UCC Church. She loved playing bridge with her group of friends and greatly missed them when she moved to Meredith almost 3 years ago.

Her greatest joy was spending time with her children and their families, which included 13 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. She always said “IF VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE, MY LIFE HAS BEEN FILLED WITH SPICE” and had a sign in her home that said “A DULL WOMAN HAS A CLEAN HOUSE”!

Dot will be greatly missed by all of her family and cherished friends, near and far, including her best friend since she was first married, Muriel Benshimol, who at 96 cherishes all the fun times they experienced during their special friendship – the family is just now learning from Muriel about things that they did that were never shared with her children! Dot prided herself in being a very independent woman.

The family will hold a Celebration of Life at the Hollis Congregational Church on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, with the time to be announced.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Lisbon Regional High School to the Melvin Haynes and Dorothy Haynes Pitman Memorial Scholarship Fund, Lisbon Regional School, 25 Highland Avenue, Lisbon, NH 03585.