STONINGTON – Nancy P. Rice passed away peacefully Nov. 14, 2006, with her loved ones at her side, at home. Born April 22, 1923, in Gloucester, Mass., she was one of four children of Edgar Laurence and Mary Louise (Coleman) Parsons. She was married to Edward H. Rice for nearly 57 years, until his death in 2003. They visited and fell in love with Deer Isle in the late 1960s, and in 1970 bought the old Victorian house known as the Lobster Trap on Bayview Street, Stonington. That wonderful home on the harbor meant the world to them both, and through the last 36 years, family and friends from far and wide have felt their love and hospitality radiating from its walls. Nancy was a skilled secretary, most recently at the New York State Legislature, Albany. Her last employer, at the time she retired, was Eliot Engel, now U.S. representative from New York, who honeymooned at the Lobster Trap. Living on Deer Isle full-time for the past 20 years, her secretarial talents were put to good use as a volunteer for the Island Medical Center Building Fund Drive, back in the 80s. A kind and helpful friend to so many people, Nancy’s home always included a couple of well-loved pets. Her loss will be deeply felt by many, including her beloved daughter, Ellen and son-in-law, Ray Dinsmore, of 39 Oak Hill Lane, Stonington; grandsons, Jake Dinsmore and his wife, Jacquie and new great-grandson, Tyler, of Chat-ham, N.J., and Ben Dinsmore of Columbia, Md.; nephews, Richard Smithson and wife, Sharon, of Stonington, Steve Smithson and wife, Phyllis, of Beverly, Mass., and Stonington, Ralph Smithson of Beverly, Mass., Bradd Smithson of Boston, Bruce Smithson and wife, Patti, of Wilmington, N.C., and Dana Parsons of Bradenton, Fla.; and niece, Martha (Parsons) Reading of Fanwood, N.J. A memorial celebration of her life will be held 2 p.m. Dec. 30, at her home, 12 Bayview Street, Stonington. Those wishing to honor Nancy may make a contribution to the Hancock County HomeCare and Hospice, P.O. Box 156, Blue Hill, ME 04614; Island Family Medicine, P.O. Box 403, Stonington, ME 04681 or the Memorial Ambulance Corps, P.O. Box 387, Deer Isle, ME 04627.
NANCY PARSONS RICE
