Freida Spitz

Born in Mattawamkeag, Maine, in 1933, Freddy was the oldest of seven children from the collective families of her parents, Lawrence and Amelia Ayotte née Pelletier. Following her parents’ respective remarriages to Helen Verrill and John Shedd, she grew up with a large, blended family.

Freddy attended schools in Lewiston and Sidney before graduating from Cony High School in Augusta, Maine. For the last two years of high school, she lived with "Mum Brown," an influential figure whose footsteps she followed into nursing. Freddy graduated from what was then Central Maine General Hospital in Lewiston in 1954. She began her career at the now-closed Maine State Hospital, working in mental health.

In 1957, she married Gerry Spitz, a Naval pilot from New York stationed at Brunswick Naval Air Station. Their life in the Navy took them on travels to Rota, Spain; Jackson, Mississippi; Salinas, California; and finally, Exeter, Rhode Island, where they retired.

An ardent animal lover, Freddy quickly embraced her husband Gerry's passion for breeding and showing champion Basset Hounds, and together they ran a kennel. A legendary cross-country move from California to Rhode Island underscored her commitment: they stripped out a school bus to hold 57 crated dogs, while Freddy drove a separate wagon loaded with 36 cats, plus a goat named Pansy. Later in life, she was a part-owner of several champion pugs.

Following her divorce from Gerry in the 1970s, Freddy returned to her nursing career, serving as an administrator of a nursing home for some years. She then became a supervisor at The Ladd School, a state facility for people with developmental challenges, where she retired at the age of 60.

Freddy often remarked that she was busier in retirement than during her working years. She dedicated countless hours to supporting animal refuge leagues and other animal aid organizations. Her deep compassion led her to take in unadoptable cats so they could live out their lives in a loving home, at one point having 57 cats living with her. Her days were a testament to her dedication, filled with washing bedding, cleaning litter, and hosing out dog runs.

Her retirement years were spent tending to her large home and two on-site rental properties. She cultivated four beautiful 400 sq ft flower gardens, complete with fishponds to complement her orchard. When one of her beloved animals passed away, she would bury them in the orchard and plant another tree over the grave, creating an impressive and meaningful memorial. A lifelong sun worshipper, she loved to garden in her bikini, a choice that once prompted a friendly warning from a State Trooper, which she met with a giggle.

Her house was her castle, where she took pride in decorating, collecting antique furniture, and maintaining a vibrant indoor jungle of plants. While married to Gerry, she was accustomed to entertaining large crowds as a Naval officer's wife. Thanksgiving was her favorite holiday, and she would spend days cooking to host a collected gathering of family and friends.

Freddy always focused on her appearance: she loved gold jewelry, was a sharp dresser with the latest hairstyles, and adored her vast collection of shoes and purses, once cleaning out 50 pairs when she stopped wearing high heels.

In 2016, after giving up driving, she moved back to Maine to be closer to family, living in a condo in Poland until 2024. She and her cat, Morgan, spent long days lounging in her recliner, where she indulged her love of reading a book a day.

Freddy is survived by her sisters, Jacqueline Flowers and her partner Charles Clackler of Minot, Maine; Judith Greenwood of Citta di Castello, Italy; and Eileen Davis and her husband Alan of Houlton, Maine. Additionally, she is survived by her brothers, Mark Ayotte and his wife Irene of Minot, Maine; and John Shedd Jr. and his wife Pat of Rossmoor, California. She is also lovingly remembered by her nieces, Joann Thorpe-Neal and her husband Kenneth Neal of Hebron, Maine; Erin Greenwood of Bethesda, Maryland; Sara Fawcett and her husband Thomas of Cape Elizabeth, Maine; and Brook Ayotte of Lewiston, Maine; and by her nephews, Adam Flowers of Lewiston, Maine; and Jesse Ayotte and his wife Gabriella Ayotte of Minot, Maine. She leaves behind several grandnephews and grandnieces, including Holly Pinkham and her husband Shawn of Hebron, Maine. She was preceded in death by her sister, Helen “Patsy” Thorpe; her father, Lawrence Chester Ayotte; her stepmother, Helen Esther Ayotte née Verrill; her mother, Amelia Shedd; and her former spouse, Gerald Spitz.

There is no funeral service planned. Close friends and family members will be invited to a summer memorial. Donations in her honor may be made to the Greater Androscoggin Humane Society at 55 Strawberry Ave, Lewiston, ME 04240.