Ethel Stansfield of Wiscasset, Maine, passed away peacefully in her sleep on July 8, 2025.

Until the very end, she was surrounded by her family, who adored and admired her for who she was, for the life she lived, and, most of all, for the great spirit of optimism, generosity, love, and compassion that she brought to all those around her.

She is survived by her three sons, Edward, George, and Timothy, and their respective spouses, Amy, Elaine, and Emiko, as well as her grandchild, Sheldon Stansfield, his wife, Marie, and their children, Teddy and Greta, Ethel’s great-grandchildren.

Ethel was born in Akron, Ohio, where her ancestors were among the founders of the city in 1825. She graduated from the Old Trail School (Akron, OH) and Bennett Junior College (Millbrook, NY). After graduating from college in 1955, she took a job at the Akron telephone company as a switchboard operator and was ultimately promoted to the customer service desk. She loved that experience and was proud to have been part of the working world, a point she mentioned often to her boys. In 1957, she married Edward Howe Stansfield Jr. of Akron, her husband of 43 years, who passed away in April of 2000. They made their home in Akron and started their family in 1958, with the arrival of their first son, Edward. They lived in Akron until 1973, when professional opportunities took the family, successively, to Basking Ridge, NJ, then to Andover, MA (1975) and, finally, to Wiscasset, ME (1977), which has been the family home for the past 48 years.

In Wiscasset, Ethel found her calling at the Sheepscot Valley Children’s House, which provides early childhood education. She remained active there for more than 40 years and became the matriarch of the school. She was absolutely in her element there. She loved it and it became her calling. The many generations of students who had the great good fortune to cross her path (and who knew her as “Miss Ethel”) got to experience first-hand Ethel’s natural way with people, her authenticity and her elegant way of imparting life’s lessons – always with the hope of setting them on a path to future happiness and success.

Ethel had a deep roster of life-long friends with whom she remained close until the end. She loved getting together with them. When they came to our house for cocktails, those events often evolved into singalongs with Ethel holding court on her piano surrounded by her friends – and the capper of those glowing evenings was almost always “My Way.” It was an Ethel classic that somehow seems to fit who she was and the life she lived.

Ed, George, and Tim ask you to raise a toast tonight to celebrate the life of Ethel. The matriarch of our family who we had the great privilege and good fortune to have as our mother. We wish her Godspeed and hope the four winds blow her safely home.

As per Ethel’s wishes, there will be no church service. The family will hold receptions in Akron and Wiscasset. Ethel will be buried in Glendale, the family cemetery in Akron.

You can memorialize Ethel by making your donations in her memory to the Sheepscot Valley Children’s House (https://sheepscotvalley.org/) at 127 Federal St., Wiscasset, ME 04578.

To leave a message of remembrance or condolence, please visit the online guestbook at www.rickerfuneralhome.com.