The results are in. After careful deliberation, the judges have selected the winners of the Eastern Agency on Aging George Hale Silver Frame Awards.

All of us at EAA were impressed and inspired by each and every one of the nominees. The essays were glowing tributes not only to the nominees themselves, but to the fact that life’s possibilities are ageless.

And now for the winners:

. Yvonne Lambert, Hampden, is the winner of the Artistic-Creative category, under age 75. Nominated by two people, Ruth Beatham and Joan Chase, Lambert is an accomplished painter, knitter and scrapbooker. Some of her artwork adorns homes, while some is donated to different organizations for raffles. She also immortalizes pets in original portraits. Lambert has made afghans and hats for CancerCare of Maine, volunteers as a phone friend, calls bingo, serves meals at Roe Village, is on the board of trustees for the Edythe Dyer Library and works at the Food Cupboard in Hampden. She has been the president of Hampden Senior Citizens for six years, plans the annual Christmas party and orchestrates a cookout in her yard every year.

. Mary Bates, Eastport, is the winner of the Artistic-Creative category, age 76 and older. Bates is a gardener, designer and knitter of beautiful sweaters, and enjoys sketching in pencil. She was nominated by her daughter, Rebecca Thibeault, who wrote, “My mother spends the lion’s share of her day creating masterpieces.” Bates began sewing Persian rugs in the 1960s, and learned to weave baskets just a few years ago when she and one of her four daughters took an adult education course. Bates, 91, insists that her dedication to her arts is what is keeping her mind sharp.

. Mary Fleming, Levant, is the winner of the Lifelong Learner-Entrepreneurial category, under age 75. Rather than retire, Mary continues to work full time as a registered-licensed dietitian, teaching patients and their families the importance of diet and exercise. She was nominated by Patricia Barker, who wrote that Fleming is not just the picture of active aging but the picture of active living. An expert in her field, Fleming collaborated on the book, “The Color Code,” by providing the nutritional content for every recipe and traveling to promote the book. She is known as Mother Mary to her co-workers because many of them are young women in their 20s and 30s balancing careers and families.

Arthur Maurice Neal, known as Maurice, Dexter, is the winner of the Lifelong Learner-Entrepreneurial category, 76 and older. He’s a licensed funeral director, finish carpenter, stone cutter, solar heat contractor and licensed preacher.

At nearly 80, he is also the supervisor of the cemeteries and groundskeeper for the town of Dexter. He was nominated by his proud wife of 59 years, Corinne. Neal helped organize a Habitat for Humanity Chapter while visiting his daughter in Washington state, seeing to it that 20 homes were built before his return trip home. He also built two complete kitchens for Habitat for Humanity homes here in Maine.

Neal organized a group of men to build a church for a Hispanic congregation, and organized six work groups to travel to Nicaragua, where they built churches and homes, and repaired school desks and chairs.

A dedicated minister, Neal has preached in 23 churches in Maine, and fills in regularly for vacationing pastors. Ever the family man, Neal started the Dexter Cafe so his grandchildren would have a place to work. And they did. Eleven out of the 14 grandchildren have worked there and two still do, even though the cafe recently sold.

Next week, the winners from the Fitness or Outdoor Enthusiast-Adventurer category.

Carol Higgins is director of communications at Eastern Agency on Aging. For information on EAA, call 941-2865, toll-free (800) 432-7812, e-mail info@eaaa.org, or log on www.eaaa.org. TTY 992-0150.