The end of the year traditionally provides an opportunity to remember and appreciated loved ones who died during the previous 12 months. Whether by raising a glass, lighting a candle or saying a prayer, we pause before welcoming the new year to honor the departed and strive to ensure that family members, trusty friends and old acquaintances “be not forgot.”

In that spirit, we pay a final 2011 tribute to valued members of the Mid-coast community who left us during the year that concludes Saturday. The few we name here epitomize countless others whose legacy we honor and whose loss we mourn.

Scores of local people aptly described as members of America’s “Greatest Generation” left us in 2011. Cloaked in humility, their straightforward obituaries belie the valor, fortitude and strength of character that carried this nation through World War II and positioned it for prosperity during the second half of the 20th century.

Among the quiet “Greatest Generation” local heroes who passed away in 2011 were Roger Pinette, a Topsham native who served as a bomber pilot over Europe and special air transport assignments in the Pacific theater; Mattie McLaughlin, a Brunswick High School graduate and one of the many women who switched jobs to pick up the slack at Bath Iron Works during World War II; and Norman “Mike” Marriner, a World War II veteran and longtime Bath Iron Works employee who brought joy to local children by dressing as Santa for special occasions.

There’s no easy way to describe Don Lipfert, a man who greatly enriched our community for decades. A conscientious objector during World War II, he devoted his life to peaceful communication between generations, environmental stewardship and the pursuit of knowledge.

Roy Greason and James Carignan, stalwarts of higher education with ties to our community, left us in 2011. During his tenure as president of Bowdoin College, Greason succeeded in creating a more diverse and inclusive campus. As a Bates College dean and leader of the Maine Board of Education, Carignan pushed for implementation of studentcentered, practical reforms that enhanced educational opportunities for hundreds of Mainers.

No less important were the educational contributions of Georgia Condon Small, who taught nursery school for 33 years; Werner Rothbacher, who taught German and physical education at Brunswick High School for two decades, while also coaching skiing and teaching swimming; Shakespeare scholar H.R. Coursen; and Rich Wells, who coached track as an assistant at Lisbon High School from 1975 to 1977 and as the boys’ coach at Mt. Ararat High School from 1983 to 1996. The lessons they imparted outside the classroom proved just as valuable as those listed in any course curriculum.

The region’s close-knit public safety brotherhood said goodbye to Harold Emerson and Ernest Savage, who combined for more than 70 years of service to the Brunswick and Richmond fire departments, respectively; and to William Carter, Lincoln County’s sheriff for 37 years. Their legacy of lives saved and crises averted will endure.

Woolwich Selectwoman Rita Sturtevant died while still in office, dedicated to public service into her final days.

The local business community lost June Frost, who brought a special flavor to Frosty’s Donuts, which she and her husband operated since 1965; Tom Bouthot, the man who ran Uncle Tom’s Market since 1956; Frank V. Wright III, who co-founded the engineering firm Wright-Pierce in Topsham in 1976; and David Anderson of Riley Insurance, whose “ desire to do the right thing” manifested itself in leadership of such service organizations as the United Way and the Oasis Health Network.

Among those who dedicated their lives to caring for others were Dr. Tony Keating, who serving on the staff at Bath Memorial Hospital, as medical director for area nursing homes, Maine Yankee Atomic Power Co. and the Maine State Forensic Medical Examiner; and Betty Rice of Bath, who learned nursing and midwife skills in England during World War II. “Betty always volunteered to work on Christmas Day because she understood what it meant to be sick and in need,” her obituary states.

The tragic deaths of Phippsburg shellfish harvester Richard Lemont, who died on the water where he spent so much of his life, and Cameron Van Vlack, an 18- year- old who tended goal for the Mt. Ararat High School hockey team, remind us of the fleeting nature of life.

This final salute to those who died in 2011 inspires us to honor their legacy by striving to live better lives in 2012.