BONITA SPRINGS, FL – On August 28, 2020, the world lost a most compassionate, kind, wonderful woman, deeply loved and respected by her family and many friends. Betty, 84, passed away after succumbing to the effects of the Covid-19 Virus at Gulf Coast Hospital in Fort Myers, FL.
Born in Portland, Maine on June 22, 1936, she was the daughter of Joseph Francis Lawler and Minnie Josephine Donatelle. She spent her childhood in Portland, graduating from Cathedral High School. On January 26, 1956, Betty Ann Lawler and Donald Paul Frank filed their intentions to marry and on April 6, 1957, they were married in Portland by Reverend William Cunneen. Shortly after their marriage, they moved to Westbrook where Betty and Donald raised eight children, and had been married for almost 44 years when her husband Donald passed away on February 9, 2001.They would take the family on Sunday drives throughout Maine or pack all eight children in the car, with half the house, and head to Higgins , Old Orchard or Kiwanis Beach; or stay home and invite half of Westbrook to a family dinner, which was most often spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna, stuffed shells or one of many other Italian dishes Betty was famous for making.
Betty was a catechism teacher, and she, Donald and their children were communicants of St. Mary’s Church in Westbrook. They were coaches, umpires, and their children’s biggest fans in almost every sport, band, or other activity the school systems offered as well as Girl & Boy Scouts were Betty was a Den Mother. In addition to raising eight children, Betty worked several jobs, mostly in accounting and bookkeeping with one of her last being the accounting and payroll manager at H.P. Hood in Portland.
In 2007 Betty met Warren Oatley of Alfred, ME and they were married on June 6, 2009. They lived in Alfred before moving to North Fort Myers, FL in 2013. Betty and Warren loved traveling and spending time with their families.
On August 14, 2018, Warren passed, and Betty moved to Bonita Springs, FL to be closer to her daughter Patty and sons Peter and Joey. She loved sports and was a regular at the Boston Red Sox spring training events and games as well as a proud New England Patriots fan. She loved the tailgating and comradery she found with friends and family members who attended the Pats Vs Fins Games in Miami.
Betty was loved by all who knew her. She was a devoted wife, mother, loyal friend, warm-hearted, kind, hard-working charismatic, generous outgoing woman who led by example. She was also a mother figure to many of her children’s friends and was happiest when surrounded by her family and many friends. Betty was an accomplished seamstress and made all the children’s and grandchildren’s baptismal gowns as well as first communion gowns. She was also an accomplished knitter and loved all types of crafts. Betty had such a kind and pure heart that one month prior to passing, she was still knitting bed mats for the homeless, made from plastic grocery bags. Hours of love and labor went into each of these bed mats and she would never know the person on the receiving end of her gift but knowing she was making a positive difference in someone’s life was enough for her. She also made hundreds of masks and head bands with buttons for the nurses at Mercy Hospital in Maine, like her granddaughter Samantha Frank, as well as nurses in Connecticut and Florida.
Betty is survived by her eight children; daughter Judith (Judy) Frank of Bonita Springs, FL, daughter Dawn Frank of Oxford, ME, son Peter and his wife Lizbeth (Abrego) Frank of Alva, FL, son Joey and his wife Devon (Truett) Frank of Bonita Springs, FL, son Donald and his wife Bonnie (Bachelder) Frank of Mapleton, ME, daughter Patty (Frank) Newell and her partner, Louie Mendes of Bonita Springs, FL, daughter Jane (Frank) Gagne and her husband David of Nashville, GA, son Eddie Frank of Windham, ME, four stepchildren; stepdaughter Cheryl Slaiciunas and her husband Stephen of North Branford, CT, stepdaughter Karen Voishnis and her husband Mark of Cape Coral, FL, stepson Steve Oatley and his wife Andrea of Hampton, NH, stepdaughter Terri Costin of South Berwick, ME, twenty-nine grandchildren, twenty-seven great grandchildren, sister Eleanor (Lawler) Welsch and her husband Donald of Gorham, ME, brother James Lawler and his wife Gretchen Shepperd of Hallowell, ME , brother-in-law, Artt Frank and his wife Lisa (McClinch) Frank of Green Valley, AZ, sister-In-law, Brenda Duncan and her husband Ken Duncan, many nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews
She is predeceased by her parents, Joseph & Minnie (Donatelle) Lawler, her husbands, Donald Paul Frank Sr. and Warren Oatley, and grandson Jason Frank.
The family wishes to thank the ICU unit at Gulf Coast Hospital for providing great care and showing extraordinary compassion while overseeing Betty’s medical needs, her knitting and craft friends Dee and Sharon, and her sister-in-law and travel partner Ann Joensuu.
There will be a private family Catholic Mass at St Anthony’s in Westbrook on at 11:00 on Friday, October 2, 2020 followed by a short service at the grave site at Woodlawn Cemetery in Westbrook at 12:30. A Celebration of Life will follow for family and friends at the residence of Eddie Frank 12 Cooper Ridge Windham, ME 04062
Please have any florist deliver floral arrangements to the Chad E. Poitras Cremation and Funeral Service Chapel, 498 Long Plains Road in Buxton