WATERVILLE – Family and friends will gather at Lorimer Chapel at Colby College this afternoon to celebrate the life, warmth and generosity of Dorothy “Bibby” Alfond, who died here on New Year’s Eve at age 89. She was the wife of Dexter Shoe founder and philanthropist Harold Alfond.

“She was a wonderful person and has been an enormous supporter,” Sharon Abrams, executive director of the Maine Children’s Home For Little Wanderers said Tuesday. “That just mirrored her belief about children and family and supporting them as best she could.”

Alfond had a long association with the children’s home, serving on its board of directors for many years and also as an honorary board member in her later years. She took particular interest in the home’s Teen Parent Center and Child Care Center, said Abrams. The Maine Children’s Home for Little Wanderers campus was named in her honor three years ago.

“She loved to come and visit the Child Care Center,” said Abrams. “She loved those visits, and tears would come to her eyes. … Seeing the teen parents pick up their babies after school also moved her. “She was a kind and compassionate lady whose love for children was totally genuine.”

Alfond and her husband were also strong supporters of Colby College. She was a member of the Colby College class of 1938 and spoke proudly of the 39 relatives and family members who attended the college over the years. One of her sons is a member of the college’s Board of Trustees. Alfond was a major contributor to the college scholarship fund, its athletic center and the campus’ Harold and Bibby Alfond Residence Center.

“Mrs. Alfond we all remember as a terribly gracious person,” recalled Sally Baker, executive assistant to college president William D. Adams. “She was so warm, a very, very lovely woman.”

Besides her contributions to Colby College and the Maine Children’s Home for Little Wanderers, Alfond served on many community boards over the years, including the Holocaust Human Rights Center. Scores of schools and medical and charitable institutions throughout the state were beneficiaries of her personal charm, wise counsel, quiet, compassionate leadership and financial generosity.

Dorothy “Bibby” Levine Alfond was born in Waterville on April 16, 1916. She was the last surviving member of the Levine family that settled in Waterville at the end of the 19th century. Her father, William Levine, founded Levine’s Store for Men and Boys, a renowned clothing store which was a fixture in downtown Waterville for more than a century until it closed a decade ago.

She was the youngest of eight Levine children and was nicknamed “Bibby,” as the “baby” of the family by her older brothers and sisters. She married Harold Alfond on Aug. 5, 1943. The couple first settled in Norridgewock, where she supported the launch of her husband’s career as a leading shoe manufacturer. A short time later they moved back to Waterville where they remained until 1993, after which they divided their time between Belgrade Lakes and Florida.

She was described by her family as a devoted, loving mother whose greatest joy was raising her children. She instilled in them at an early age her sense of values and deep commitment to family and community. In more recent years, her love and nurturing extended to grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Alfond leaves her husband of 62 years, Harold, three sons and a daughter, 13 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews, and many near and dear friends. The public memorial service at Lorimer Chapel will take place at 1 p.m. A reception will follow at Page Commons on the Colby campus.