Doris W. Lake's Obituary
Doris Kathleen Williams Lake passed Sunday at the age of 87. She is preceded in death by her parents, Alexander Williams and Freida Barter Williams, five sisters, and a brother. She leaves behind two children, Heather Lake and Lawrence Lake; grandchildren, Devon Lysenstoen, Elizabeth Lake and Olivia Lottier; and great-grandson, Ansel Mendenhall, all of whom she adored, as well as many nieces and nephews, friends and extended family that meant so much to her.
Doris grew up in Lynnfield, MA. After finishing nursing school at the New England Deaconess Hospital School of Nursing in Boston, she moved to Connecticut, where she worked as a registered nurse at Johnson Memorial Hospital in Stafford, Hall Memorial School in Willington, the University of Connecticut, and for the State of Connecticut.
She was a devoted member of the Storrs Friends Meeting, where she spent most of her Sundays “holding in the light” her troubles and her joys, along with those of the people she loved, and people she’d never met.
Doris derived pleasure from simple things. She was an avid reader, loved gardening, and when asked what she could bring to a gathering, the answer was almost always the rolls. She rarely followed recipes and drew her culinary inspiration from whatever was on hand. If you needed to know the name of a plant or a bird, she was the one to ask. Doris was always up for a game of rummy, and you only said yes to a game of Scrabble with her if you were prepared to lose. In her down time, if she wasn’t doing something for someone else, you’d find her sitting on the couch watching “Jeopardy,” doing crossword puzzles, or with her nose in a book or newspaper. There was always at least one cat on her who didn’t scurry when she shifted, but simply adjusted with her, because she was the most comfortable place to be.
She was gentle, kind, compassionate and humble, and for that, and more, she was deeply loved.
She suffered from dementia, and as it progressed she spoke often of her parents and siblings, worried about where they were and wondered if they’d been heard from. She loved planning trips to the shore and would sometimes ask if she had the ability to fly. Most recently, when asked where she would go if she could, her response was “Home.” So, fly sweet soul, you’re finally free.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of the following places: Storrs Friends Meeting, 57 Hunting Lodge Road, Storrs, CT 06268; Our Companions Animal Sanctuary, 46 Floeting Road, Ashford, CT 06278; or the Covenant Soup Kitchen, 220 Valley St., Willimantic, CT 06226.
A memorial service will take place on Saturday, October 11, 2025 at 12 p.m. at the Storrs Friends Meeting, 57 Hunting Lodge Road, Storrs, CT. Burial is private. To leave a condolence online for the family, please visit: www.introvignefuneralhome.com
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