Molly Stark lost her struggle with many health issues over the past two years and passed to her maker on Nov. 27, 2020 at Halifax Hospital in Daytona Beach, Florida.

She was born in Charlotte Amalie in the Virgin Islands on Aug. 27, 1963 to parents Joan Stark of Boothbay and the late John Stark. In 1970, the family moved to their Boothbay home on Back River in Maine and Molly attended elementary school in Boothbay and graduated from Boothbay Region High School. She later attended the University of Maine system and earned an associate’s degree in mathematics and a bachelor of science in information technology from the University in Augusta.

Molly grew up surrounded by many, her parents, three brothers, herds of horses, flocks of chickens and geese. dogs, mostly Labrador retrievers, cats and for one summer two orphaned baby raccoons which she and her family raised to adulthood for reintroduction into the woods.

She received her first pony when she was seven and therein began her life-long love of animals and in particular the caring, training and riding horses. Throughout her childhood, she and her brother competed all over the state in horse shows and events. Into her adulthood, she continued to compete in Equestrian events focusing on team-penning and sorting. Molly loved her quarter horses but also rescued and adopted a young, wild Mustang whom she eventually trained to eat from her hand and bow for a carrot.

In her teens, she worked on Margaret Gardiner's Morgan horse farm in Woolwich and had the opportunity to train in dressage under the Poulin brothers in Maine. After college she held varied office positions, waitressed and was a substitute teacher. Her last position was with the Frazier Company in Damariscotta before moving to Florida to be near her son after being diagnosed with liver cancer.

Molly’s greatest joy in life, besides raising her son, Jacob, and her daughter, Sophia and her love of reading was trail riding with friends and riding alone on the trails near her family Back River home.

She leaves her son, Jacob of Daytona Beach, Florida; her daughter, Sophia of Dexter, Maine; her mother, Joan of Boothbay; her brother, Jamie of Boothbay; her brother, Michael of Marshfield, Vermont; her brother, Jim of Eureka, California; two grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

There will be a gathering to honor her memory in spring 2021 In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory would be welcomed by MSSPA, the Maine State Society for Protection of Animals, P.O. Box 10, South Windham, ME 04082.