Nancy McReel

July 28, 1923-November 26, 2023

O death, old captain, it’s time, Let us lift anchor!

This land tires us, O Death. Let us sail

to the depths of the Unknown to find something new!

Baudelaire

On Sunday, November 26, 2023, Nancy started her next great adventure. She was a resident of the Woodlands assisted living facility in Waterville, ME at the time of her death.

Nancy grew up in Swamscott, Massachusetts, daughter of Kingsland Dunwoody and Janet Barber Dunwoody. Her favorite childhood activity was sailing to many victories in yacht club races. As a teenager she was a Girl Scout Mariner and crewed on schooners along the East coast. She graduated from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY and immediately joined the Navy as an officer, stationed at the Pentagon in the Intelligence Department decoding German documents. In 1948 she took a summer long bicycle trip across Europe with several friends, staying in youth hostels, empty fields or even one night in a concrete storm drain. Upon returning to the US, she obtained a Masters Degree in Library Science from the University of Michigan. She drove across country to start work in the reference department of the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. Her next job was at the University of NH in Durham where she met her future husband, William McReel. They moved to Castine, Maine where William worked at Maine Maritime Academy until his death in 1969. Nancy raised their three children then returned to library work at University of Maine, Orono and finally at Thornton Academy in Saco, Maine. She resided in Kennebunk and Wells, Maine for 35 years before moving to assisted living in Waterville, Maine.

In her calm, quiet way she would educate others in the wonders of the natural world, believing that if one developed an appreciation of the outdoors it would lead to taking care of it. She taught her children respect and responsibility for the environment through numerous camping, hiking , kayaking and skiing adventures. She was a long time “Sugarloafer”, skiing the bumps on Skidder until her 80”s. She continued her interest in the outdoors in retirement, obtaining a certificate in Botany from the University of Southern Maine and volunteering with the New England Wildflower Society, National Audubon Society, Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge and the Conservation Education Foundation of Maine, just to mention a few! Her love and interest in botany and birds lead her on global adventures from Mongolia to Antartica, Tibet to Greenland and many other environs.

She is predeceased by her husband ,William and oldest son, Malcolm. Her daughter Laurie McReel and her husband, John Poirier live in South Thomaston, Maine and her son James McReel and his wife Kathy. Her grandsons Ian Poirier and James Poirier and great grandchildren live in California.

Per her wishes, there will be no memorial service. Donations in her name could be made to the Friends of Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge in Wells (friendsofrachelcarsonwr.org) Maine or any other conservation organization of choice.