Dorothy Mae Eggsware-Hakes, 85

Dorothy Mae Eggsware-Hakes, age 85, of Rutherfordton, NC and formerly of Tupper Lake, passed away on September 23, 2020 at the Mission Hospital in North Carolina. A celebration of her life will be held on a later date at the convenience of her family.

Dorothy was the oldest of seven children born to Sarah Elsie LaCeseraia and Walter Roy Eggsware in their home in Titus, N.Y. on June 1, 1935. When she was seven years old, her family moved to Childwold, where she attended the one room school house. Dorothy continued onto Tupper Lake High School excelling in her studies and joined the girls’ basketball team.

Dorothy married John Clifford LaPlante and the two built a home in Childwold and raised three children. She was a wonderful homemaker. She gardened, baked and was a meticulous seamstress, making clothes for herself and her family. She worked various jobs, cooking at Dumas’ Restaurant and being a cashier at the Grand Union Grocery Store. Eventually she and John purchased and ran the Bartlett Pair Motel.

After their marriage ended in divorce, she remarried Loren Hakes and moved to Massawepie. She continued her education taking college courses at North County Community College studying psychology.

In 1978 she moved to Tupper Lake and she took a job at Sunmount working with profoundly mentally and physically handicapped patients. She genuinely enjoyed caring for those who needed so much love and nursing care. She especially liked working on the unit with the younger patients, some as young as five. On a few occasions, she had even taken them home giving them a special day out.

She worked there for seventeen years until her retirement.

Dorothy loved the quietness of the Adirondack mountains, the rivers and the fresh air. She would walk almost daily, even in the rain. She enjoyed hiking mountains, fishing and canoeing down the Raquette River. During our long winter months she enjoyed snowmobiling, cross country and downhill skiing.

The time spent with her grandchildren were truly the happiest moments in her life. She became a huge part of their lives. Watching them grow, graduating from high school and college. Dorothy had fond memories of teaching them how to drive, celebrating their weddings, and numerous other memorable events. She even got to meet and hug a few of her great grandchildren.

Dorothy fought a very long and arduous battle with dementia. However, as much as she fought, her lungs succumbed to the world’s newest virus, Covid-19.

Dorothy is survived by her three children: Joanne Sparks, David LaPlante and Kathryn (Bill) Amell, ten grandchildren: Derrick (Katie) Olds, Kris Olds, Jennifer Sparks, David LaPlante, Linda Grijalva, Jennifer LaPlante, Joseph LaPlante, Jeremy (Gabrielle) Amell, Tyler Amell and Kristen (Jared) Churco, and 14 great-grandchildren, as well as two sisters: Joan Williams and Beverly Richey.

Dorothy was predeceased by her parents, son in law- John Sparks II, three brothers- Robert Eggsware, Richard Eggsware, Kenneth Eggsware, and one sister, Marjorie Lewis.