Nancy Jean Grant, also hailed as Nance, Mommy, Mom and Nana by those who knew and loved her so much, passed away on Saturday, August 6th, six months after her beloved Chaz left her. She was born in Monmouth, Maine on August 20, 1936 to Reginald and Lillian Richards.
Nancy earned her degree in Social Work from the University of Maine, Orono where she met Charlie. It was love at first sight. They wed in 1959 then moved to Buffalo, NY where Charlie studied for his PhD and Nancy worked as a social worker. They moved back to Orono in 1962 after their first child was born and Nancy then devoted herself full time to their growing family.
Nancy was a loving mother to four children, and a devoted Nana to 10 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren.
Nancy always put family first, caring for them with awe-inspiring devotion. She and Charlie were a force to be reckoned with. They worked side by side for almost 64 years; creating a welcoming home and many wonderful traditions and memories for their family, as well as UMaine international students and the multitude of exchange students that were a part of the family throughout their 43 years of volunteering with AFS. In 2019, to honor this tireless volunteer work, they were nominated and won the NEWS CENTER Maine 2 Those Who Care Award.
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Nancy rarely missed any of her children’s and grandchildren’s activities. She had a front row seat to almost every basketball, field hockey, ice hockey and soccer game, as well as swimming, golf, cross country track, track and field and cross-country skiing meets and skating competitions. Her proud, exuberant cheering could be heard by all. She also enjoyed all of the concerts, dance recitals, school plays , musicals, pageants and scout activities.
Nancy was also the neighborhood “mom”, welcoming in all of her four children’s friends with a big smile. She was generous and loving, with a contagious laugh and a helping hand to anyone who needed it. She radiated a never give up positivity and was always ready to offer cheering up or a shoulder to cry on.
Nancy was a marvel in the kitchen, baking delicious, mouth- watering cakes and cookies and preparing wonderful meals for her family. She was happiest with a well-stocked fridge and loved ones crowded around her dining room table. Christmas celebrations were by far her favorite, with her incorporating many of her Swedish traditions into the festivities, decorating every corner of the house, hosting a dessert party for friends and family, and enjoying when all the children and grandchildren gathered for stockings and the tree. She kept an immaculate house, interrupting many of her children’s tv shows when they were small with the command of “pick your feet up” as she vacuumed for the third time that day. She was highly skilled with her sewing machine and knitting needles and enjoyed spending countless hours in her flower gardens, painstakingly weeding until the flowers were showcased to perfection. She also loved singing Broadway show tunes alongside the records that played nonstop in the house. It didn’t matter what task she was doing, she was always singing, even waking each her children up every morning to the tune “Good Morning to You”.
Nancy was a strong, determined woman. She had the gifts of hospitality and generosity, devoting her life to her family and her community. Over the years she volunteered her time and her energy to MYF, Girl Scouts (even after her own girls outgrew the program), AFS, Women of the World and other groups. When someone was in need, she was there.
Nancy had the extraordinary ability to make each of her children feel stronger and more confident in their own identity, instilling in them their own sense of independence and mental toughness. She taught them to live by the values of independence, determination, honesty, compassion, loyalty and kindness.
She will be missed tremendously by her children Eric Grant, Karen Frazell, Gretchen Casey and Jennifer Tower; their spouses Suzanne, Dan, Scott and Brian; her grandchildren Kaitlin, Justin (Lisa), Brian (Ashley), Nicholas (Amelia), Jennie, Orion (Andrea), Corey, Ryan (Brianne), Shawn (Kailee) and Cam and her great grandchildren Alyx, Jude, Luca, Aly, Keller, Brylee, Brooke and Benjamin. Her beloved sisters, Doris and Betty and her many nieces and nephews will miss her dearly. She is predeceased by her loving husband Charlie, her parents Lillian and Reginald Richards of Winthrop, ME. and her siblings Buddy, Rhona, Bill, Louise, Edie, Ruth, and Carol.
We’d like to give a heartfelt thank you to our three superheroes; Syerra, Maddie & Jessi. They all loved her and helped both she and Charlie navigate living in their twilight years in new environments in the kindest, most loving and respectful manner. They have become a cherished a part of the family. We’d also like to give a heartfelt thank you to the staff at Woodlands Senior Living Center in Brewer, and the Gentiva hospice nurses, Melissa and Pam for their kind, compassionate care.
May all who were touched by Nancy’s love know that she will always be watching over them. A joint Celebration of Life and reception for Nancy and her beloved Chaz, will take place at the Orono United Methodist Church on September 17th at 2:00 with Rev. Michele St. Cyr officiating. The service will be followed by the interment of ashes at Riverside Cemetery in Orono. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to the charity of your choice.
Condolences to the family may be expressed at BrookingsSmith.com
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Nancy Grant, please visit our flower store.
Nancy earned her degree in Social Work from the University of Maine, Orono where she met Charlie. It was love at first sight. They wed in 1959 then moved to Buffalo, NY where Charlie studied for his PhD and Nancy worked as a social worker. They moved back to Orono in 1962 after their first child was born and Nancy then devoted herself full time to their growing family.
Nancy was a loving mother to four children, and a devoted Nana to 10 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren.
Nancy always put family first, caring for them with awe-inspiring devotion. She and Charlie were a force to be reckoned with. They worked side by side for almost 64 years; creating a welcoming home and many wonderful traditions and memories for their family, as well as UMaine international students and the multitude of exchange students that were a part of the family throughout their 43 years of volunteering with AFS. In 2019, to honor this tireless volunteer work, they were nominated and won the NEWS CENTER Maine 2 Those Who Care Award.
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Nancy rarely missed any of her children’s and grandchildren’s activities. She had a front row seat to almost every basketball, field hockey, ice hockey and soccer game, as well as swimming, golf, cross country track, track and field and cross-country skiing meets and skating competitions. Her proud, exuberant cheering could be heard by all. She also enjoyed all of the concerts, dance recitals, school plays , musicals, pageants and scout activities.
Nancy was also the neighborhood “mom”, welcoming in all of her four children’s friends with a big smile. She was generous and loving, with a contagious laugh and a helping hand to anyone who needed it. She radiated a never give up positivity and was always ready to offer cheering up or a shoulder to cry on.
Nancy was a marvel in the kitchen, baking delicious, mouth- watering cakes and cookies and preparing wonderful meals for her family. She was happiest with a well-stocked fridge and loved ones crowded around her dining room table. Christmas celebrations were by far her favorite, with her incorporating many of her Swedish traditions into the festivities, decorating every corner of the house, hosting a dessert party for friends and family, and enjoying when all the children and grandchildren gathered for stockings and the tree. She kept an immaculate house, interrupting many of her children’s tv shows when they were small with the command of “pick your feet up” as she vacuumed for the third time that day. She was highly skilled with her sewing machine and knitting needles and enjoyed spending countless hours in her flower gardens, painstakingly weeding until the flowers were showcased to perfection. She also loved singing Broadway show tunes alongside the records that played nonstop in the house. It didn’t matter what task she was doing, she was always singing, even waking each her children up every morning to the tune “Good Morning to You”.
Nancy was a strong, determined woman. She had the gifts of hospitality and generosity, devoting her life to her family and her community. Over the years she volunteered her time and her energy to MYF, Girl Scouts (even after her own girls outgrew the program), AFS, Women of the World and other groups. When someone was in need, she was there.
Nancy had the extraordinary ability to make each of her children feel stronger and more confident in their own identity, instilling in them their own sense of independence and mental toughness. She taught them to live by the values of independence, determination, honesty, compassion, loyalty and kindness.
She will be missed tremendously by her children Eric Grant, Karen Frazell, Gretchen Casey and Jennifer Tower; their spouses Suzanne, Dan, Scott and Brian; her grandchildren Kaitlin, Justin (Lisa), Brian (Ashley), Nicholas (Amelia), Jennie, Orion (Andrea), Corey, Ryan (Brianne), Shawn (Kailee) and Cam and her great grandchildren Alyx, Jude, Luca, Aly, Keller, Brylee, Brooke and Benjamin. Her beloved sisters, Doris and Betty and her many nieces and nephews will miss her dearly. She is predeceased by her loving husband Charlie, her parents Lillian and Reginald Richards of Winthrop, ME. and her siblings Buddy, Rhona, Bill, Louise, Edie, Ruth, and Carol.
We’d like to give a heartfelt thank you to our three superheroes; Syerra, Maddie & Jessi. They all loved her and helped both she and Charlie navigate living in their twilight years in new environments in the kindest, most loving and respectful manner. They have become a cherished a part of the family. We’d also like to give a heartfelt thank you to the staff at Woodlands Senior Living Center in Brewer, and the Gentiva hospice nurses, Melissa and Pam for their kind, compassionate care.
May all who were touched by Nancy’s love know that she will always be watching over them. A joint Celebration of Life and reception for Nancy and her beloved Chaz, will take place at the Orono United Methodist Church on September 17th at 2:00 with Rev. Michele St. Cyr officiating. The service will be followed by the interment of ashes at Riverside Cemetery in Orono. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to the charity of your choice.
Condolences to the family may be expressed at BrookingsSmith.com
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