SCARBOROUGH – Nathaniel Cushing “Nick” Nash IV passed away peacefully on Dec. 28, 2020, at the Holbrook Health Center at Piper Shores Retirement Community. He was 98. Born and raised in Cambridge, Mass., he was the son of Nathaniel C. Nash III and Mary Evelyn (Howe) Nash.

Nick was the quintessential gentleman with a charming, polite, and genteel manner that was appreciated by everyone who met him. Warm and caring, Nick always placed concern for others above himself. He was affable, engaging and it was a true pleasure to be in his company. He had a superb and clever command of the English language which he used skillfully to showcase his quick wit and generous sense of humor. He wore his 98 years well as he maintained his enthusiasm, activity, and curiosity right to the end.

Nick attended Noble and Greenough School in Dedham, Mass. and entered Harvard College in the fall of 1941. However, like so many members of The Greatest Generation, he left college during his sophomore year and enlisted in the U.S. Army. After basic training he landed on the beaches of Normandy shortly after D-Day as a battlefield replacement. He was quickly assigned to the 197th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion where he served until the war was over. During that time, he participated in the campaigns of Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes, and Central Europe. He was one of the first American soldiers to enter a liberated Paris with the task of placing anti-aircraft guns in position at the airport in the event of a surprise return of enemy aircraft. He was also in one of the first group of American soldiers to enter the concentration camp in Buchenwald, Germany and provide aid to the abandoned prisoners. After WWII ended, he remained in Germany for several months serving in the U.S. Army of Occupation. He was discharged from active duty with the rank of 1st Lt. but was recalled to active service during the Korean War.

When he returned home after WWII, he resumed his studies at Harvard and graduated with the Class of 1945. It was there that he met his future wife, Caroline Barker, a graduate research student. They were married in 1948 and enjoyed a wonderful 61 years of love and devotion to each other before her passing in 2009. They lived in several New England towns, primarily South Hamilton and Wenham, Mass. Nick spent most of his career in management positions in the Accounting Department of New England Telephone, retiring in 1982. In 2002, Nick and Carol moved to Piper Shores in Scarborough to be closer to family.

While living in South Hamilton, Nick’s love of nature and the growing awareness of the dangers of DDT being used in the environment prompted him to establish a town Conservation Commission upon which he served as Chairman (1960-65). Nick felt that we are all custodians of the environment and that we have a duty to protect it. Ever since childhood, Nick had a profound interest in birds, travelling far and wide through all weather conditions to add new species to his always increasing life list. He meticulously documented his sightings in numerous volumes of personal journals. He was a licensed bird-bander, banding birds not only in his backyard but also on offshore islands along the New England coast.

Nick was an excellent photographer, an avid tennis player, and a diligent gardener. He belonged to the Eastern Yacht Club, the Hillsboro Club (Florida), the Myopia Hunt Club and the Nuttall Ornithological Club.

He is predeceased by his wife, Caroline B. Nash; his son, Nathaniel C. Nash V; and his sister, Priscilla Conger.

He is survived by his daughter, Deborah Molander and husband Frederick of Yarmouth, daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Nash of Potomac, Md.; five grandchildren, Gregg Molander (Stacy) of Kensington, Md., Eric Molander (Raquel) of Hong Kong, Nathaniel Nash (Katherine) of Kensington, Md., Megan Nash of New York, N.Y., and Lisa Nash of New York, N.Y.; and three great-grandchildren, George, Devin and Daphne and a step-great-granddaughter, Hannah.

His family is profoundly grateful to the dedicated staff at the Holbrook Health Center at Piper Shores for the professional and compassionate care which they provided during the last years of his life.

According to his wishes, there will be no service. A private burial at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Mass. will take place in the future.

Arrangements are entrusted to Hobbs Funeral Home, Scarborough. Condolences may be expressed online at http://www.hobbsfuneralhome.com.

Should you wish, donations in Nick’s memory may be made to

Maine Audubon Society,

20 Gilsland Farm Rd.,

Falmouth, ME 04105

or to the charity of your choosing.

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