Nancy Rose (Mackay) Coffin

Nancy Rose (Mackay) Coffin

WOOLWICH – Nancy Rose (Mackay) Coffin left the loving care of her family and entered heaven March 20, 2022.  Nancy was the third child of Donald A. and Anna W. Mackay, born September 29, 1927 in Bridgeport, CT.  Nancy grew up in South Portland, ME and Wellesley, MA, initially attending Wellesley High School then moving to the Stoneleigh-Burnham School after the death of her mother in 1944.  Although her early life was spent in both Massachusetts and Maine, her deeply rooted love of the Bath-Woolwich area came from her childhood summers spent on Crawford Island in the Kennebec River.

Nancy attended the University of Maine, Orono where she joined Pi Beta Phi sorority and was elected a Sophomore Owl. She moved from U of ME to Katharine Gibbs graduating as an Executive Secretary in 1947. At the end of World War II, campus populations swelled with returning veterans and Nancy met her life-long partner, Dick.  They were married in February 1948 in Wellesley Hills, honeymooned at Big Bromley, and moved to New Jersey to begin building their life together.  It was there that Nancy and Dick worked their first jobs, started their family, constructed their home and invested in their shared life focused on family, church and community service.

Nancy lived life with a selfless perspective and perpetual willingness to jump in head-first wherever and whenever there was an unmet need.   She routinely brought her unassuming leadership style and noteworthy organizational skills, her enthusiasm, a healthy dose of humor and her giving heart to every endeavor.  Her lifetime of dedication included: supporting her children’s activities of sports, scouting, music and academics; returning to work when education funds were needed and volunteering in her church to serve and care for others.  Her ever-present willingness to sponsor, lead or support community initiatives made her a well loved and respected member of any group.   

As a mother of 5, grandmother of 9 and great-grandmother of 19, saying Nancy was beloved would be an understatement. Her ability to connect with every person and warmly interact on many levels provided universal access to unconditional love. Members of her family and her community felt ‘included’ whether they were related or not. She saw each child for their most lovable qualities, earned a reputation as a ‘baby whisperer’ down through the generations and was best described by the plaque awarded by her Great-Grandchildren, ‘A Day with Nana…Priceless’. 

It is a challenge to list or summarize Nancy’s lifetime activities given her enthusiasm for participation. She was deeply involved in her churches in NJ and Woolwich serving as Deacon, Clerk, Sunday School Teacher and Outreach Chair.  She was also a key figure in her neighborhood associations bringing people and families together for commitment and connection.  Most members of the Day’s Ferry Community Club can describe the winter nights they drove by Nancy’s frog-pond to see her shoveling snow by moonlight to insure smooth skating the next day.

A staunch supporter of local charities who was regularly reluctant to solicit donations, Nancy was at her best when it came to ‘working hard’ in the pursuit of worthy causes.  She always ‘put in the miles’ necessary to earn the funding.  Truthfully, Nancy had the uncanny ability to excite participation and make everything Fun.  Whether she was turning a walk into a nature hike, a competition or a singing march, she consistently led with a smile and pulled us along to the parade.  Habitat for Humanity, the Crop Walk, and the Bath Area Food Bank all were beneficiaries of her loyal support.  Recently she was the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award Presented by Habitat for Humanity.

Nancy is survived by 4 of her 5 children: Richard H. Coffin Jr./Diane (Paul) Coffin of Wintergreen, VA; Cynthia (Coffin) Zadai/Scott Johnson of Concord, MA; Nancy (Coffin) Lombreglia/Lawrence Lombreglia of Hampton, NJ; and Andrea (Coffin) Norton/Clinton Norton of Salem, MA; 9 Grandchildren, and 19 great-grandchildren along with numerous loving nieces and nephews. 

She was predeceased by her son Dan Christopher Coffin, her husband of 64 years Richard H. (Dick) Coffin, her sister Joyce (Mackay) Horne, and her brother Donald A. Mackay Jr.

A Service and Celebration of Life hosted by her church and family, will take place in late June.  A private interment will be held at a later date.  In Lieu of Flowers, Donations may be made to Days Ferry Congregational Church PO Box 103 Woolwich, ME 04579 or CHANS Hospice Care 45 Baribeau Dr. Brunswick, ME 04011.

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