Nancy (Spencer) Thibodeau CHARLESTOWN — The world lost a beautiful human being with a big, bright smile and contagious laugh, on Aug. 16, 2020, when Nancy Spencer Thibodeau of Charlestown, New Hampshire, died at the age of 66 after a hard-fought battle against breast cancer. She died peacefully in her home, surrounded by loved ones. Nancy grew up in Lewiston, Maine, the only child of David Warren Spencer and Raymonde Daignault Spencer. She was a proud graduate of St. Dominic’s High School, where she spent some of the best years of her life and made countless happy memories. After high school, she attended the University of Maine, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Nancy was a Registered Nurse for 42 years, spending eight of them at Maine Medical Center in Portland, and 34 at Springfield Hospital in Springfield, Vermont. During that time, she touched the lives of thousands of patients, most recently helping patients with breast cancer through their care and treatment as the breast cancer coordinator at Springfield Hospital. Nancy is survived by her three beautiful, intelligent and funny children, who brought great joy to her life: Melissa Rouette and husband Dan of Riverside, Rhode Island; Jennifer Vickers and husband Craig of Walpole, New Hampshire; and Nicholas Thibodeau of Redlands, California. She is also survived by eight grandchildren who were the lights of her life, Brayden Rouette (14), Alice Cole Rouette (10), Lillian Vickers (8), Allison Vickers (6), Winifred Vickers (3), Noah Thibodeau (12), Oliver Thibodeau (10) and Zoee Thibodeau (8). She loved having her family all together, especially at Christmas, when Nancy would decorate her banister with beautifully embroidered and monogrammed stockings for each family member, excitedly present each grandchild with a new pair of cozy pajamas and a special Christmas tree ornament, and challenge everyone to a males-versus-females game of Trivial Pursuit. The love of her life was her husband of 44 years, Roger Thibodeau. They were set up on a blind date in 1972 and spent a lifetime together raising their family and enjoying many special adventures. Most recently, they traveled to Yellowstone National Park, spending day upon day observing beautiful wildlife, a lifelong dream of Nancy’s. She was grateful for Roger’s endless love, diligent care and fierce support — especially in the last months of her life. Nancy loved living in Charlestown and was active in the community from the time she moved there in 1984. She was a Girl Scout leader for more than 10 years and was one of the founders of the Our Town newspaper, for which her work was the dedication of the 2019 Charlestown Annual Report. She was known as the “Hummingbird Lady” in town after many years of writing articles for the Our Town about the first hummingbirds spotted in town each year; every spring, Nancy would receive dozens of phone calls from all over the region, with excited citizens reporting their first hummingbird sightings. In more recent years, she added “Butterfly Lady” to her list of titles, as she raised hundreds of monarch butterflies, released them into the wild, and advocated for the planting of milkweed in order to preserve the endangered monarch population. Nancy was always a lover of wildlife and found great pleasure in being surrounded by the birds, animals and flowers around her home. Calling hours will be held at Stringer Funeral Home in Claremont, New Hampshire, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 20. A funeral will be held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Springfield, Vermont, on Friday, Aug. 21, at 11 a.m. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the funeral home and Thibodeau family ask all attending the visitation to abide with all regulations and please wear a mask and use social distancing. In lieu of flowers, it is requested that donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the Springfield, Vermont, Humane Society. The family wishes to thank all who have supported them during this difficult time.To view an online memorial or send a private message of condolence, visit www.stringerfh.com.
As your daily newspaper, we are committed to providing you with important local news coverage for Sullivan County and the surrounding areas.