Mathilda Anna Studley

Mathilda Anna "Tillie" Studley, 98, of Scarborough passed away peacefully on July 9, 2025, surrounded by family, reuniting with her beloved husband Leroy "Sam" Studley.
She was born in South Portland on August 28, 1926, to Britta Katie and Julius Adolf Hertz. Tillie attended Cottage Farms School in Cape Elizabeth, where she met Sam who would become the love of her life.
Tillie and Sam were married on April 20, 1946, after Sam return from WWII. In 1953 they moved with their two young daughters, Donna and Diane, to a little cape cod house on Beech Ridge Road in Scarborough. Ten years later their son John was born, and their family was complete.
Over the years, Tillie worked at Porteous Mitchell in Portland followed by a career in the Scarborough school system. She loved her position as a teacher's assistant at Dunstan and later Wentworth schools where she left such an impression on so many students who forever remembered Mrs. Studley.
She was active in Girl Scouts with her daughters and serving as a Girl Scout Leader. She enjoyed cooking, cake decorating, yard sales, antiques, gardening, canning, collecting recipes, many of which were in several community cookbooks that she was also involved in publishing. She whole heartedly enjoyed watching her boys race at Beech Ridge Speedway and spending time with her grandchildren. In later years, when she no longer went to yard sales herself, she loved helping us sort through our antique finds, identifying and educating us on the history or our treasures and loved viewing the end result at our booths at her great granddaughter's antique shop.
She and Sam enjoyed spending afternoons picking blueberries which then turned into many mouthwatering pies and muffins. Most of all they loved spending time and hosting family and friends at Camp-We-Like-It, built by her parents in 1940 on Pequawket Lake in Limington, where everyone was always welcome! Anytime we gathered around the table together, she would never forget to say to us all, Isn't this special.
For many years, Tillie was a proud member of the Pythian Sisters that brought her a lifetime of beautiful friendships. The Pythian sisters is a fraternal organization for women, established as an auxiliary to the Knights of Pythias. Founded in 1888, their focus is on promoting friendship, family, and community through altruistic efforts and upholding principles of Purity, Love, Equality and Fidelity.
On May 6, 2023 she was the proud recipient of the Boston Post Cane award for the town of Scarborough, a tradition started in 1909 by the Boston Post newspaper and awarded to the oldest resident of the participating New England towns.
Tillie was predeceased by her parents, her beloved husband Sam and her sister Eleanor (Hertz) Lucey. She is survived by daughters Donna (Studley) Harper of Florida, Diane (Studley) Patenaude and her husband Joseph of Florida and son John Studley of Scarborough; grandchildren, Frank Lamb Jr., Kimberly (Thomas) Durant, Kristine Thomas, Lisa Harrison, Killean "Kiki" (Harrison) Johnson, Brad Harrison, Todd Harrison, and Laurie Harrison; many great grandchildren and even several great GREAT grandchildren.
We would like to send our deepest gratitude to Ann Marie, Lisa and everyone at Hospice of Southern Maine. They are truly a team of angels, guiding us with empathy, compassion and so much caring and support as we traveled this journey with Gram together.
Funeral services will be at Dolby, Blais and Segee at 434 River Road, South Windham Maine on Wednesday July 16, 2025. A visiting hour starts at 10:00 a.m. followed by a service at 11:00 a.m. A gathering to celebrate Tillie's life will be held at 1:00 pm at The Outpost, 380 Pequawket Trail in Standish Maine.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice of Southern Maine, 390 US-1, Scarborough, ME 04074.