Paulette D. Gilbert, 72, passed away peacefully in her sleep at Blossom Grove in Redlands, Calif. on May 30, 2024. Paulette was born on Aug. 27, 1951 in Dexter, to the late Roger and Lorraine (Robichaud) Gilbert.
A 1969 graduate of Dexter Regional High School, she went on to graduate from St. Joseph’s College with a degree in education. She later went on to achieve a master’s in education from the University of Maine at Orono.
Living most of her adult life in the Midcoast towns of Bristol, Newcastle, and Waldoboro, and was a devoted teacher in Bristol. She taught elementary education for 30-plus years where she touched the lives of countless students and was honored to have been selected as Maine Teacher of the Year. Her passion for education extended beyond the classroom as she volunteered at the Mid-Coast Audubon Society and was an avid birder. In her retirement years she volunteered as a docent at the Farnsworth Museum in Rockland and later worked in security there. Although living away from Dexter, she cherished her many frequent visits to spend time with her family and high school friends.
A lover of nature, she enjoyed hiking with her closest friends and birding. She had a warm smile, infectious laugh, a kind heart, and a gentle spirit that endeared her to everyone she met.
She is survived by her siblings, Mary Ann DiSotto and husband, Michael, Thomas Gilbert and wife, Sonja, Richard Gilbert, Peter Gilbert and wife, Susan; nieces and nephews, Chris DiSotto, Kim Grant and her partner, Kent Quiet, Sarah Vazirani, Kasey Gilbert, Avani (Kristin) Gilbert and her partner, Andrew Denley; several great-nieces and nephews; a great-great-nephew; several aunts, uncles, and cousins.
A memorial service will be held on Aug. 17, 2024 at 10:30 a.m., at Our Lady of Snow Catholic Church (St. Anne’s Parish), at 60 Free St. in Dexter, followed by internment at Mount Pleasant Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family request donations in Paulette’s name to the Mid-Coast Audubon Society in Damariscotta and or the Farnsworth Museum in Rockland.
