SOUTH PORTLAND – Velma I. Nurse passed away on April 8, 2023. She lived an active and productive life for all of her 110 years and peacefully died at home just as she had planned. The last 100 of those years were all in South Portland.

She was born on Jordan Mountain in New Brunswick, Canada to Julia Hall Marr and Seymour Marr. Her parents immigrated with her and her older brother Raymond to the United States in 1923. The parents and both children all lived their adult lives in homes on Broadway. In 1937 Velma and her first husband Norman Whiting built the home she died in. She became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1938. Jordan Mountain was always the “down home” place of her heart.

She married Robert Nurse in 1958. Their active outdoor life included owning a Maine hunting camp in North New Portland and annual fishing trips to Moosehead Lake and remote Quebec lakes. Visits to relatives in Canada’s Maritime Provinces were important to both of them. She and Bob were also both very active volunteer members of The First United Methodist Church of South Portland.

Velma’s gardening talent, crafting skills and love of animals and birds, both domestic and wild, were among her notable characteristics. There isn’t a chipmunk in the neighborhood who didn’t run to her door each time it is opened. One friendly “chippie” is enshrined as a family legend for giving her back the hearing aid she had mistakenly tossed to him after placing it in the apron pocket she used to store her peanut shells. He dropped it at her feet just before entering his borrow.

She was in reality as much of a hoarder and collector as her chipmunk friends. Any item that might have a usefulness was cleaned stored, shelved, or bagged so that it could be retrieved as needed. She learned the lessons of the Great Depression well. Collectable items were displayed tastefully throughout her home. No cute ceramic or stuffed mouse ever went without shelf space. She may have had more birds and moose than any gift shop in Maine. All on view in numbers of china cabinets, tables and window shelves in each room. Stuffed animals and photos could be found in every room of her home as well. Tea cups and Christmas plates and sugar bowls all had “not to be moved” places. She was a stickler for order in life and home, as family, friends, and in the later years, caregivers all learned.

Although Velma was a hardworking homemaker, as her dusting needs might suggest, she also worked out of the home frequently. She was employed by Portland’s now long gone Porteous, Mitchell & Braun Co. and seasonally used her flower arranging talent at Dodge the Florist in the Deering neighborhood of Portland.

Sometime after her 100th Birthday, which occurred during the snowy winter of 2013, “Grammy” provided the family with a memory demonstrating her tenacious and spunky nature. On arriving for a visit, daughter Norma found her a bit disheveled, winded and wet sitting in her favorite chair by the window and gazing out at the 5 to 7 foot snow banks along her driveway. When asked what had happened she sheepishly laughed and said “oh! just a little accident in the back yard.” She had wanted to take advantage of a beautiful February thaw day and had “dug out her snowshoes” to help her negotiate the back yard drifts to reach her clothesline. “I don’t like electric drier underwear and it was such a nice day.” The admission that she had also fallen a couple of times while completing the job took a bit more time to be told but she concluded that confession by saying, “It was no big deal! … so stop worrying about it” All that said with the twinkle in the eye you see in the above photo. To her family that is our “Grammy in a “nutshell”. Tough, persistent, great sense of humor and sharp as a tack.

Velma is survived by daughter, Norma and her husband Robert J. Piper of Damariscotta, and their children, Rob Piper and Brett Piper both of Seattle, Wash. and Tracy Piper of Norton, Mass.; and three stepchildren, Bob Nurse, Jr. of Bowdoin, Roberta Merrow of Freeport and Judith Sargent of South Paris.

The family wants to note its grateful thanks to the conscientious caregiving provided by Aging Excellence in the last few years and to the nurses and staff of Southern Maine Hospice who attended her in these last few months. Thanks also to her physician Dr. Marc Braun and his staff whose careful care and birthday wishes included the gift of that eloquent gardening hat worn in the above photo. Friendship, joy and laughter were gifts provided by all these folks.

In accordance with her wishes a graveside service will be held on April 27 at 11 a.m. at South Portland’s Highland Memorial Cemetery. A light lunch will be served following the service at the Thornton Heights United Methodist Church, 100 Westbrook St.

Online condolences may be shared at http://www.hobbsfuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers,

donations can be made to:

The Animal Rescue League of Greater Portland

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