EAST MILLINOCKET – Kathleen Elizabeth (Mahany) Nisbett, 85, died Sunday, Jan. 23, 2011, surrounded by her loving family after a seven-day stay at Colonial Health Care, Lincoln. She suffered from pulmonary fibrosis for many years and experienced a very brief and rapid decline in health prior to her death. She lived independently at her home in East Millinocket since the early death of her husband in 2002. She was born Jan. 26, 1926, to James William Mahany and Birdena Inman Mahany of Easton, and was the great-granddaughter of Cain Mahany, who was a member of the 31st Maine Regiment of the Union Army in the Civil War.
Kathleen was the beloved wife of Maurice Edgar Nisbett, whom she married Aug. 21, 1948, in South Portland. Kathleen graduated as valedictorian of Easton High School in 1943, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in home economics from Farmington State Teachers College, June 14, 1947. She taught in the East Millinocket school system at the outset of her graduation from Farming-ton State Teachers College. She said that she knew she wanted to teach home economics from the time she was in eighth grade. After she married she took some time off to have her family and then she returned to teaching in 1962. When she retired in June 1986, she had taught for a total of 26 years at Schenck High School. She said that she had taught as many as three generations in one family and always believed that the teachers had a responsibility to set high standards and expectations for the students. She also believed that home economics was a class that should be taught to boys and girls alike, because the skills for homemaking and consumer economics are vital to today’s dual wage earners. Before she retired from teaching, she started a very successful fabric and yarn business, Kay’s Fabric and Yarn, in April 1982. She learned the fine art of quilting and taught many of her customers to quilt. She later sold the business in August 1988, but continued to enjoy quilting, sewing and knitting for the remainder of her life. She donated numerous quilts for fund raising at St. Peter’s Catholic Church throughout the years. She also donated many lap quilts for patients at Eastern Maine Medical Center and Millinocket Hospital. Kay also had an extensive perennial garden in her yard and enjoyed extending the variety of flowers to this garden. She became an avid golfer along with her husband, Maurice, and traveled to many parts of the world in her earlier retirement years with friends and family. She also played a mean game of bridge.
Kathleen is survived by her son, James W. Nisbett and his wife, Sherri, of East Millinocket; three daughters, Joanne Gabbianelli and her husband, Frank, of Dixmont, Peggy Daigle and her husband, Maurice, of East Millinocket and Old Town, and Debra Hochran and her husband, Dr. Robert Hochran, of Skillman, N.J.; five grandchildren, Staci Nisbett and her hus-band, Darren Schoff, of Scarborough, Keli Daigle Marston and her husband, Aaron, of St. Augustine, Fla., Erica Gabbianelli of Dixmont, Nick Gabbianelli of Old Town and Aaron Hochran and his wife, Allyson; three great-grandchildren, Taylor Dawn Marston, Kacie Marie Marston and Erin Hochran; and her sister, Margaret Kopack of South Portland. She was predeceased by her husband, Maurice, in 2002; granddaughter, Angela Daigle, in 1999; sister, Frances Mahoney, in 2003; and brothers, Paul Mahany, in 1984, Merle Mahany, in 2002, and Philip Mahany, in 2004.
Friends are invited to visit with the family 4-7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28, at Lamson Funeral Home, 11 Tamarack St., Millinocket. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 29, at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, East Millinocket. A reception will be held at St. Peter’s Parish Center immediately after the funeral. Spring interment will be at East Millinocket Cemetery. If friends wish, contributions in Kathleen’s name may be made to the Jodi and Terry Michaud Benefit Fund, care of Eastmill Federal Credit Union, 60 Main St., East Millinocket, ME 04430. Messages of condolence may be expressed at
www.lamsonfh.com.