Nancy O’Laughlin

HALLOWELL – Nancy O’Laughlin, 83, passed away on Dec. 22, 2025. Nancy grew up in Hallowell living on Water Street and then Second Street. She had many happy childhood memories of Hallowell playing with friends in her tight-knit neighborhood. She didn’t have much growing up but had all she needed. She liked to recall how much fun she had taking the train from Hallowell to Augusta to see a movie on a special occasion when she could. Many of her grade school friends remained close to Nancy right up until her final days.

Nancy graduated from Hallowell High School in 1960. She opened Nancy’s Beauty Salon on Winthrop Street after attending beautician school. In 1963, Nancy married Danny O’Laughlin at Sacred Heart Church in Hallowell. While Nancy was reluctant to move from Hallowell, Nancy and Danny bought a house in West Gardiner in 1965. Although she felt she had moved to “the middle of the woods” she grew to love the town of West Gardiner as much as she did Hallowell.

In 1977, Nancy took a job in the West Gardiner Town Office where she worked for more than 35 years. She was honored to receive the Spirit of America Award for donating countless volunteer hours to the community. But, most of all, she was happy to forge lifelong friendships with so many people in town.

Nancy and Danny enjoyed kayaking, gardening, collecting antiques, and the Maine coastline. Her favorite spot in Maine was Ocean Point where Nancy and Danny visited frequently…eating lobster and steamed clams on the way back home through Boothbay Harbor.

Nancy was an excellent cook. Among the dishes most requested by Danny and Nancy’s son, Patrick, were ham loaf with mustard sauce, stuffed peppers, and garlic pot roast.

Nancy loved Christmas. She looked forward to delivering her homemade fudge and pistachio cakes to friends around town. She always made it a very special time for Danny and Patrick.

Nancy was a diehard Red Sox fan. When she couldn’t watch games on television, she listened to them on the radio in bed during their West Coast Swing. Her favorite player was Jim Rice.

After her son, Patrick, moved to California, Nancy and Danny often visited. While in San Diego, Calif., Nancy enjoyed going to the beach, the zoo, ball games, the theatre, and fun shopping trips with her daughter-in-law, Anale. During the holidays, Nancy always brought along “Cooking Down East” and Nancy and Anale cooked up some New England delicacies.

Nancy’s grandchildren, Daniel and Katie, loved her very much. They especially looked forward to seeing Nancy at Christmas time and affectionately called her “Grammy O.” Nancy had fun with the kids whether playing cards, watching them play sports, or exploring the tide pools at the ocean.

Perhaps most of all, Nancy was an eternal optimist. She saw the good in everyone. She was kind, generous, and compassionate. Even when things became challenging in her later years, she was quick to say how lucky she was to have such a good life. Her final year was spent at The Woodlands in Hallowell where she was treated so kindly. She developed friendships with many to whom she was so grateful.

Nancy was predeceased by her husband Danny; her parents; her sisters Betty O’Hara, Veronica Roy, Joan Clary, and Barbara Beaudoin.

Nancy is survived by her son, Patrick, his wife Anale; grandson Daniel, and granddaughter, Katie.

Thank you to Vern and Ann, David and Teresa, and Mike and Kim. Thank you, Jennifer and Toupee. Thank you, Linda, Tommy, and Alice. Thank you, Kay. Thank you, Kathy, for being there through thick and thin.

Nancy’s family expresses special appreciation for Tammy Hickey. We thank you for your kindness, unwavering friendship, and devotion to our family over the course of many, many years.

Arrangements and guidance are in the care of Staples Funeral Home and Cremation Care, 53 Brunswick Ave., Gardiner.

Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the Staples Funeral Home website, http://www.staplesfuneralhome.com