Obituary: Nancie B. Boudreau

Nancie B. Boudreau

LARGO, Fla. – Nancie B. Boudreau (Daigle), 81, entered into eternal rest on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020, at her home in Largo, Fla. after a lengthy illness. She passed away peacefully, surrounded by her loving children Nancie and Armand.
She was born in Gardiner on Nov. 6, 1938 to William and Elsie Daigle, and attended schools in the area. She was a proud graduate of Gardiner High School and later attended the University of Maine for two years, studying early childhood education.
In 1957, she met the love of her life, Herman, to whom she married on Nov. 8, 1958. Their storybook marriage lasted for 54 years, and they made their home in Brunswick where they raised their family.
In 1959, Nancie opened The Three Little Bears Nursery School which she owned and operated for 49 years. She cherished the many years as a teacher, and she felt honored and blessed to have provided a loving and caring preschool education to more than 5,000 children.
At the peak of her business, she offered nursery school and day care as well as summer camps every year. She will forever be lovingly remembered as Miss Nancie, a name that brought a smile to her face and a fullness in her heart. Miss Nancie and Mr. Policeman, later known as Pepere after his retirement, worked from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., five days a week for 52 weeks of the year, excluding holidays. Their selflessness and love were the cornerstone of Three Little Bears Nursery School, and they leave a lifetime of indelible memories for those they were blessed to know.
Beyond her love of early education, Nancie was also involved in her church and community. She was a lifelong communicant of St. John the Baptiste Church in Brunswick and a communicant of St. Patrick’s Church in Largo, Fla. She was involved in many church activities and events, becoming the first chairman of the now famous St. John’s Church Bazaar and remained active for years after passing the baton to the next chairman. She was a proud member of the Daughters of Isabella for many years, often baking or volunteering for various events and causes.
Nancie will also be lovingly remembered for her many years of involvement in the Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts. She was a past troop leader for the Brunswick Girl Scouts Troop as well as a den mother for the Brunswick Cub Scout Troop. One of her fondest memories was the infamous Girl Scout bus trip to New York City where she was kissed by Soupy Sales and Fr. Emile Guilmette walked the red carpet after being mistaken for a movie actor.
Nancie and Herman never wavered in their desire to make a difference in peoples’ lives, and as devout Catholics, their “give back” nature lead them to new roles. In 1987, she temporarily closed her nursery school, and they moved to My Brother’s Place in Brooklyn, N.Y., a Catholic shelter serving the needs of homeless men. They remained in touch with several special men who continued to keep them as part of their lives. They returned to Brunswick in 1989 to re-open the nursery school which she operated until her retirement in 2010.
Nancie was predeceased by her parents, William and Elsie Daigle; her husband of 54 years, Herman; grandson, Aaron Boudreau, granddaughter, Ann Day; brothers, William, Carroll and John Daigle and sisters, Reta Garland, Mary Wright, Bertha Melnuk and Lorraine Wright.
She is survived by her children, Herman “Buddy” Boudreau II (Deidre) of Kingfield, Marc Nichols (Marilynn) of Grass Valley, Calif., Nancie Ellis (Doug) of Freeport, and Armand Boudreau with whom she lived in Largo, Fla. She is also survived by her brother, Norman Daigle of Gardiner; granddaughter, Theresa Bayha (Todd) of Warwick, R.I., grandsons, Chuck Leblanc (Kris) of Bangor, Travis Leblanc (Missy) of Skowhegan; great-grandchildren, Kaleb, Landon, Everett, Abby, Jonny, Jade, Aspen and Lane, many nieces and nephews and many former students and friends.
Friends and family are invited to visit 4 to 7 p.m., Friday, Jan. 31, 2020 at Brackett Funeral Home, 29 Federal Street, Brunswick. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020 at St. John the Baptist Church, 39 Pleasant Street, Brunswick. Interment will be observed in the spring at the Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Augusta.
The family wishes to thank Dr. Jennifer Kudelko, the many nurses and medical teams at Largo Medical Center, the staff at Oak Manor Rehabilitation, especially Margaret Mingle who had a special bond with mom and the staff at Suncoast Hospice in Largo, Fla.
Memories and condolences can be shared at www.brackettfh.com.