Grace June Bates May 28, 1946-October 6, 2023 Grace June Bates passed away Friday October 6, 2023, in Lewiston, Maine at the age of 77. Grace was born May 28, 1946, in Augusta, Maine to Edward Piela and June (Tompkins) Piela, the fourth of five siblings: Leon, Phil, Norene, and Raymond. She grew up in Monmouth, Maine and was a proud graduate of Monmouth Academy, class of 1964. This was the year she also welcomed her first daughter, Sherry, and the next year her daughter, Lauri. Grace for many years was happily a stay-at-home mom to her two daughters. When she did return to work, she took proudly and greatly enjoyed working at the packing shed for Chick's Orchards, supporting an important town industry, and working with her sister, Norene. After this, she worked in a few different secretarial positions, including at The Value House, which would later become Service Merchandise. Grace continued to support the community that she loved, dedicating her time to Monmouth's volunteer ambulance service, getting her first-responder's license, then becoming a certified EMT. She was instrumental in getting the town its own full-time ambulance service, which served the town for many years. It was during this time volunteering that she met the future love of her life, Leonard. Len and Grace were married August 15, 1982. With this marriage, Grace became the stepmother to two more daughters, LeeAnn and LouAnn. Within the next few years, she transitioned away from the workforce to care for Len's aging parents and to take on arguably her favorite job, stay-at-home grandmother, helping watch her ever-growing number of grandchildren. When they were old enough, she returned to work, taking a job at LeeAnn's store, The Fayette Country Store. Here Grace got to work side by side with LeeAnn, many dear friends she made, and many of the grandchildren she was so integral in helping raise. Grace, or Widget, as she was affectionately referred to by her loved ones, was an active person, she never kept still. She loved sports, playing on a women's softball team and a local bowling league in her younger years. She never missed any of her daughters' sporting or extracurricular events, and that carried over to her grandchildren. She was always their biggest cheerleader, and at times, a ref's biggest heckler. She was very vocal; you always knew where she was in the stands. Family was everything to Grace. She loved camping in the summers, and hosting holidays at her house, along with many Friday dinners with enough food and baked goods to feed an army. You didn't leave her house unless you were uncomfortably full. Somehow, she thought six was an acceptable amount of cookies to eat for dessert. Friends were always welcome, the more the merrier, and they were considered just as much family as blood was. This goes for her pets as well. Grace was an avid animal lover (except for snakes!) and throughout her life she had many animals: 2 Great Danes, 3 shelties, rabbits, a horse, and most recently her Bichon Frise, Sarah, that she didn't go anywhere without, and no one had better tell her otherwise! Grace was a dedicated member for many decades at the North Monmouth Community Church where she also volunteered a lot of her time, whether it be baking for an event, helping remodel the church, or just lending a hand wherever needed. Baking was definitely her specialty, however. Anyone who tried her whoopie pies or molasses crinkles would always want the recipe, but somehow, they could never recreate them just as magically delicious as she somehow made them. Grace is predeceased by her parents Edward and June Piela, and her siblings Leon, Phil, and Norene. She is survived by her husband of 41 years, Leonard Bates of Monmouth; her brother Raymond and wife Sue Piela of Leeds; her daughters Sherry and husband Paul Ferland, and Lauri and husband Rick Frost, both of Monmouth; stepdaughters LeeAnn Bates and partner Jonathan Weymouth of Readfield, and LouAnn and husband Chris Leighton of Monmouth. She is also survived by her eight grandchildren and their spouses: Nicholas (Jennifer) Frost; Holly (Jared) York; Heather (James) McLellan; Joshua (Rachel) Bachelder; Megan Ferland (Joseph Merill), Parker (Breanna) Ferland, Krista (Cody) Dunnam; and Abby Ferland; and her 15 great-grandchildren: Amelie Frost, Dawson, Brogan, and Aspen York, Olivia, Dexter, and Arya McLellan, Vanessa, Alyssa, and Jackson Bachelder, Parker and Patrick Merrill, Emery and Ellis Ferland, and Jace Dunnam. She will be greatly missed by everyone she leaves behind. The family would like to thank the kind staff at Montello Manor for their dedicated and compassionate care of Grace in her last few days. There will be a celebration of Grace's life for family and friends on October 21, 2023, at 11:00 AM held at The North Monmouth Community Church 151 North Main Street, North Monmouth, Maine. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Grace's name to local animal shelters. Arrangements are in the care of the Roberts Funeral Home, 62 Bowdoin Street, Winthrop where condolences and memories may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the funeral home website by visiting www.khrfuneralhomes.com