Dorothy A. HICKEY

SACO - Dorothy A. Mathieu, 92, a resident of Beach Street died Tuesday evening, April 19, 2005 at her home following a lengthy illness.Dorothy was born in Biddeford on Sept. 15, 1912 a daughter of Daniel and Eva (Menard) Hickey. She graduated from Biddeford High School in 1932.Prior to her marriage to Raymond E. Mathieu who passed away in 1981, she was manager of several Kent's Cleaners in the greater Biddeford-Saco and Portland areas. Since her marriage, she was a wife, Mother and homemaker.She was a lifetime parishioner of St. Mary's Church in Biddeford.She supported the church's activities by volunteering for numerous projects and belonging to many of its organizations.She was an avid Beano player and loved to play various card games.She belonged to the Biddeford PTA where she volunteered and chaired several activities. For many years she and her recently deceased life long friend, Laurette Towle belonged to Biddeford and Saco's Thursday Club. Dorothy also supported and chaired many charitable organizations fund raising drives which caused her many visits to the Blaine House in Augusta. She was particularly fond of the March of Dimes.She was a charter member of the poker group called the GG's, the gambling grandmothers, who met every Wednesday for 15 years. It has been said that it was a good source of income for her as she possessed the 'luck of the Irish'. However, it was all skill. She always had her winnings of hundreds of dollars in glass bottles stored in her closet.Dorothy was predeceased by her husband, Raymond E. Mathieu in 1981, and a sister Doris.She is survived by her daughter, Dorothy Rae Cote her caregiver for several years and her husband, Eric of Saco; a son Douglas D. Mathieu and his wife Deborah of Kennebunk; two grandsons Benjamin Cote and Kevin Mathieu, several great grandchildren and nieces and nephews.Visiting hours will be on Friday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. at Cote Funeral Home, corner of Beach and James Street in Saco. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Saturday at St. Mary's Church in Biddeford. Interment will follow at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Saco --- SACO - Dorothy A. Mathieu had the luck of the Irish.Mrs. Mathieu, who died Tuesday at the age of 92, was a charter member of a poker club called the GG's - Gambling Grandmothers - and had a great poker face.She played with about 10 women every Wednesday for 15 years. Twice a year, they invited their husbands to play. Mrs. Mathieu cashed in against the women and held her own against the men, including her husband. Dottie Spears, the treasurer of the club, said Mrs. Mathieu was a very good player. "She was always the big winner. We had so much fun and had lots of laughs," Spears said. "She was a very good friend. She was pleasant to be with. She was a very giving person. You couldn't help but like her."The women played for pennies. Mrs. Mathieu's winnings added up quickly. She stored hundreds of dollars of her winnings in bottles in her closet. With some of the money she won, she threw a bridal shower at a restaurant and painted her house. "The older the group became, the more she won," said her son, Douglas Mathieu of Kennebunk. "She was very lucky. Everyone thought so. She was so smart when she played. She won consistently."Mrs. Mathieu enjoyed playing bingo and various card games. Regularly, the family played bid whist and canasta over big bowls of popcorn and soda, said her daughter, Dorothy Rae Cote of Saco. Mrs. Mathieu considered herself lucky in many ways, her daughter said.In 1939, she married Raymond E. Mathieu, who was her husband until he died in 1981. They had a close relationship. Through his work, she had a chance to travel throughout the Unites States and Canada. Her son said they loved and respected each other. "My mother had a very good life," her son said. "Traveling was a big part of their lives. She liked going different places and meeting different people." Mrs. Mathieu and her husband had a lot of fun going ballroom dancing and making late-night runs to Ray's hot dog stand in Saco. "Once, I got a call from my father at 3 a.m.," Cote said. "I thought something was wrong. They went out to Ray's and forgot their key. They were so full of life." Mrs. Mathieu was a member of St. Mary's Church in Biddeford and volunteered for many church activities. She was a former member of the Biddeford PTA and a longtime member of the Thursday Club, a social club based in the Biddeford-Saco area.She also supported several charitable organizations, including the March of Dimes. "She had a big heart," her son said. "That was her outlet."