YARMOUTH – Janet Lee (Higgins) Nolan passed away peacefully on March 29, 2024, at the age of 88, surrounded by her children.

Born on Dec. 24, 1935, in Auburn, Janet was the daughter of Gerald Trueman Higgins and Ruth Louise (Ford) Higgins.

She will be best remembered as a devoted wife to her husband, John Philip Nolan Sr., and a cherished mother to her four children, loving grandmother to her nine grandsons, and her new great-granddaughter.

Janet attended Edward Little High School and was active in many school activities, most notably the ELHS marching and concert bands. In 1953 Janet entered her freshman year at the University of Maine at Orono, graduating in 1957 with a B.A. in English and a Secondary Teaching Certificate. While at Orono, Janet joined the Chi Omega sorority and was an active member of her college class. In her sophomore year, Janet met her husband, John “Bud” Nolan and following graduation in 1957, they were married on Nov. 30. Janet and Bud remained active UMO alumni members, attending every class reunion that they could.

Throughout her life, Janet was a loving mother and was generous with her time and talents for many causes. While raising her family in New Jersey, Janet volunteered for Meals on Wheels, Girl Scout District Cookie sales and was a generous contributor to the United Way. After 22 years as a “stay-at-home Mom,” Janet joined the Human Resources Department at Bell Labs, honing her organizational and business writing skills.

In 1996, Janet and Bud retired to Telluride, Colo. where they built their dream home, a New England Cape Cod style, with a remarkable view of the San Juan Mountain range. While there, Janet was a fixture in the Adaptive Ski Program at the Telluride Ski Area and worked on holiday Angel Baskets for local families. Janet and Bud enjoyed many long-term friendships from childhood, college and neighbors — all of whom they often entertained and traveled with. Upon returning to Yarmouth, to be closer to family, Janet developed a great interest in researching her family genealogy, delighting in joining the Mayflower Society and Daughters of the American Revolution.

Janet was predeceased by her husband Bud; her parents; her sister, Pamela, and brother, Jerry. Her devoted children are Lisa (André) Boudreau, of Block Island, R.I., Lorie (Scott) Dorrance of Cape Elizabeth, John (Jennifer) Nolan, Jr., of Falmouth, and Brent Nolan of Keene, N.H. Her loving grandsons all have very fond memories of the countless delicious meals she prepared over many decades during family gatherings at Nolwyd, the family camp in Mt. Vernon. Grandsons are (oldest-to-youngest), Hunter, Connor, Nolan, Weston, Miles, Jared, Andre, Jacques and Erik. Janet also leaves a great-granddaughter, Poppy, and many nieces and nephews.

Services will be held at a later date.

Janet and Bud were avid supporters of the University of Maine Foundation and members of the Stillwater Society.

Gifts in memory of Janet may be made at

our.umaine.edu/nolanj

to be added to the

John P. Nolan ’57,

Janet Higgins Nolan ’57,

and John P. Nolan, Jr. ’92 Scholarship.

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