Susan DeHoff Montgomery

Scarborough Susan Andrea (DeHoff) Montgomery, 81, our dear and beautiful mother, passed away gently and quietly, surrounded by family, on February 23, 2024. She was the daughter of Dr. John B. and Mabelle Audrey (Dunn) DeHoff. Mom was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and, in her adult life, she was a long-time resident of Brookside, NJ; London, England; Denver, CO; and most recently, Scarborough, ME. Mom was a humble, private person, who loved a good story and learning about others. She was the keeper of the family genealogy with a memory for the names and connections in the family tree, as well as colorful commentary. She wrote the very best cards and letters to her family and friends, and we will all miss receiving a letter from her in the mail. Mom acted throughout her life with peaceful and intentional purpose and might have attributed her quiet strength and ever-gracious nature to her mother. Her compassion, strong empathy, accepting embrace of everyone, and love for silliness could be attributed to her father. She gave to people what she read from them - if someone was down, she gave sincere support; if someone was jovial, she was right in on the fun. Her patience was unmatched - just ask her daughters. She made truly sincere friendships with the most wonderful people. Mom had a curiosity and love of learning, and she encouraged this in others at every age. She found interest in myriad topics. You always wanted her on your team in a game of Trivial Pursuit. She would say there was always something to be learned from every experience. Mom believed strongly in saints and angels and especially that they were with her on this journey over the past few months. Perhaps her best nugget of advice came from a poem: “Have no doubt that the Universe is unfolding as it should,” to which she would add, “...and it will turn out even better than we can imagine.” In 2015, Mom attended her fifty-fifth high school reunion in Baltimore and reignited a very old friendship with Thomas Baker. They were married in Maine in 2019. Beginning in 2016, they summered in Maine and wintered in Denver, before moving to Maine full-time in 2021. Her time in Maine was devoted to exploring her favorite state, music and the arts, service on several Piper Shores community committees, enjoying time with her knitting groups, reading, and Tom. She attended high school at Baltimore Friends School, graduated from Bryn Mawr College with a BA in History and earned a Masters of Library Science at Rutgers University. She had a fulfilling career in information research, working for the Passaic Township Library and various companies. She is survived by her husband, Thomas Baker; two daughters, Joanna Wilhelm and husband John Hawes and Camilla and husband Kent Modesitt; two grandchildren, Sam and Amelia Modesitt; brother, Howard DeHoff and his wife Lucy Horton; father of her children, William Montgomery. She is terribly, horribly missed, but we know she is in an amazing place. Life is short; eat dessert first and read good books. Arrangements are under the direction of Conroy-Tully Walker, South Portland Chapel, 1024 Broadway, South Portland. Mom asked that donations in her memory be made to: Friends of King George VI School, Wilmington, OH, www.kgvi.org/donate/ OR Saint John’s Cathedral, Denver, CO, www.sjcathedral.org