CAMDEN — Ditte Slade was born Jan. 31, 1928, in the small village of Tapolca, Hungary. When she was 2 years old, her family boarded a ship bound for America, following in the steps of other family members in search of a better life.

They arrived at Ellis Island and settled in Brooklyn, N.Y. where Ditte and her sister, Gloria, grew up surrounded by cousins, aunts and uncles. In 1944, her family moved to Los Angeles, Calif., where Ditte finished high school, went to college and became a preschool teacher. At the age of 22, she married Milton Slade and together they raised two daughters and built a wonderful life filled with family and friends. Their marriage lasted 66 years.

Ditte was a life-long activist. She participated in Civil Rights marches and was proud to have met Martin Luther King Jr. She was also a member of the antiwar organization, Another Mother for Peace, and a supporter of the Venice Family Clinic.

Ditte was an avid reader and a passionate student of psychology, but her true life's work began when a dear friend urged her to pick up a brush and paint. During her lifetime, she created more than 60 paintings and sculptures, many of which were part of her art exhibit at the Camden Public Library in February of 2015.

Ditte and Milton moved to Maine, where they could be close to their daughter, Beverly. Over the last four years, Ditte spent most of her time happily quilting, knitting and drawing the beautiful trees outside her window, enjoying the changing seasons she remembered from her childhood.

She died peacefully on Sept. 21, 2016, at home, surrounded by her daughters and husband.

Ditte's smile and sparkly eyes will be truly missed by her family and all who had the privilege to know her.

She is survived by her husband, Milton Slade; her daughters, Barbara Slade and Beverly Slade; her son-in-law, David Conover; her daughter-in-law, Jane Scott; and her beloved grandchildren, Emma Rose Conover and William Garrett Conover.

There will be a private family ceremony at a future date.