Obituary of Jonalee Crafts Roths

Jonalee “Joni” Crafts Roths of Southwest Harbor, Maine, passed away peacefully in Rockland, Maine, on December 12, 2024. A spirited lover of life, Joni sang her way through each day, found joy in gardens, cared deeply for those in need, and adored every animal she encountered.

Joni was born in Portland, Maine, on December 11, 1943, to Howard S. Crafts and Hazel (Mayo) Crafts. Raised in Southwest Harbor, she graduated at the top of her class from Pemetic High School in 1962. From an early age, she delighted in family pets and dreamed of owning a horse. As a teenager, she worked in the office at the Stinson Factory, saving money to fulfill that dream. Her horse, King Kip, became her constant companion and famously walked up the factory stairs once to fetch her from work. Her deep love for animals inspired her to pursue one of the first spots in the University of Maine’s large animal program.

However, life took a different turn when Joni met John Roths, a fellow student at the University of Maine. The two married in 1966 before her graduation, and she joined him during his Navy service in California and Maryland. After returning to Maine, Joni embraced motherhood, putting her career on hold to raise her daughters. She became deeply involved in adult education, teaching childbirth education, tutoring math, and later serving as the assistant director of MDI Adult Education, for which she was named Teacher of the Year in 1984. That same year, she and John divorced.

The prior summer, Joni had taken a position as a summer police officer in the Town of Mount Desert. After her divorce, she became one of the first women in Maine to attend the Maine State Police Academy. She then served as the first female police officer in Rockland, Maine, and later applied her law enforcement experience as a Child Support Enforcement Agent for the State of Maine. While living in Rockland, Joni returned to school, completing her degree in animal husbandry.

In 1995, she embarked on a sailing adventure with her brother Jeff to St. John in the Virgin Islands. Around the same time, her father, Howard, needed support, and she returned to the island she always called home. After his passing, Joni moved into her childhood home at the head of the harbor and took a position as a dispatcher for the Town of Southwest Harbor.

Joni’s passion for the outdoors and her green thumb led her to work at Islandscaping and eventually start her own private gardening business. This flexible schedule allowed her time to volunteer, including with the Common Good Soup Kitchen in Southwest Harbor. She forged a close friendship with Larry Stetner, the kitchen’s founder, and enjoyed delivering soup weekly to those in need, spending time talking with each recipient.

Throughout her life, Joni was devoted to her pets, especially feral cats and border collies. She could often be seen walking her dogs, Mishka and later Bett, through Southwest Harbor, visiting the bank, the police station, Carroll’s Drug, and other stores where biscuits awaited her four-legged companions. Leaving her beloved pets behind when transitioning to assisted living was one of her most difficult challenges.

At Woodlands Memory Care in Rockland, Joni was well cared for by the staff, bringing her zest for life with her. One staff member fondly recalled how much they enjoyed singing together. Her daughters are grateful for the loving care she received there in her final years.

Joni is survived by her two daughters, Jaylene B. Roths and husband Steven W. Blackett of Bar Harbor; Justine B. Roths and partner Omen Eagle Viele of Waldoboro; two grandchildren, G. F. Rawl Blackett and Cecelia M.M. Blackett of Bar Harbor; and her brother Jeffrey H. Crafts and wife Anne Crafts of Southwest Harbor.

As Joni once said to her own father on his passing, “Fair winds and following seas.” We know she has gone to sing with her Lord in heaven. A celebration of her life will be held at the Common Good Soup Kitchen in late spring.