MANCHESTER – Stephanie Jean (Daggett) Nichols, 69, died on Jan. 6, 2020 at Maine General Medical Center in Augusta. Stephanie was born on April 25, 1950, in Augusta, the daughter of John P. Daggett and Ruth Banks Daggett. She was raised in Manchester where she could often be found working the register at the family store, Daggett’s Market. Stephanie went on to attend Kents Hill School where she was known for her outgoing and boisterous personality. She attended Mount Ida Junior College where she was class president before transferring to the University of Maine at Orono to finish her degree. It was also around this time when Stephanie got her beloved Datsun 240Z along with the vanity license plate “SJDZ” which would become a signature of hers for years to come.

After graduating from UMO, Stephanie started her career in teaching at Readfield Elementary School. During her tenure there, Stephanie directed many school musicals and was a favorite teacher among the students. Following in the footsteps of her parents and grandparents, Stephanie was also an involved member of the Manchester Grange. Over the years, she played an integral part in organizing bean suppers, selling raffle tickets and coordinating dealers for regular craft shows. After Stephanie retired from teaching, she stayed busy with various activities such as volunteering with Meals-on-Wheels and serving on the Manchester Planning Board. Stephanie also worked part time at Mulligans located on the site of the former Daggett’s Market. She was a member of the Manchester Historical Society and a lifelong communicant of Saint Mary’s Church.

Stephanie loved to cook, especially for her family, and she was known for many dishes to include her delicious lobster stew and mouth watering crab dip. Stephanie also loved the holidays when she was routinely gifted with bottles of her signature perfume, Shalimar, which she wore for 40-plus years. She had a generous heart and helped others whenever she could. Stephanie was affectionately known as “Stess” or “Stessy” by family and close friends.

Stephanie is survived by her son, Daniel Thomas Michael Nichols of Gardiner, Maine; brother, Tom Daggett of Augusta, Maine; “sister” Cyndie Banks of Augusta, Maine; niece, Page Daggett of Alexandria, Va.; nephews, John Daggett and his wife, Beth of Washington, D.C., Paul Daggett and his wife, Rachel, of Sterling, Va., great-nephews, Charles, Henry and Theodore and great-niece, Evelyn, all of whom she delighted in telling that she was their “GAS” (Great-Aunt Steph), cousins, Jan Calderwood of Bangor, Elaine and Peter Simoneau of Dennis, Mass., Liz Lapuh of Cambridge, Mass., Ken Kew of St. Petersburg, Fla., and many cousins and special friends.

Relatives and friends may visit from 2-4 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 16, at Plummer Funeral Home, 16 Pleasant St., Augusta. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 17, at Saint Mary’s Church, 41 Western Ave., Augusta, Maine. A burial will be held in the spring. See www.plummerfh.com for online condolences and directions.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Stephanie’s memory to: Manchester Grange

c/o Tom Daggett, Box 5

Manchester, ME 04351 or the Manchester

Historical Society

c/o Tom Daggett, Box 104

Manchester, ME 04351

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