Nancy Mae Bean, 87, of E. Waterboro passed away on August 31, 2021 after a brief illness. Nancy was born March 27, 1934, the second daughter of four children to James and Elizabeth Earl of E. Waterboro, ME.

As a teenager, Nancy studied piano and as an accomplished player won numerous talent shows. She appeared on the Arthur Godfrey Talent TV Show in the early 1950s and was runner-up in the 1953 Miss Maine contest. After graduating Waterboro HS and Westbrook College, she went on to graduate from the New England Conservatory of Music. One of her classmates she remembered well at the Conservatory was Corretta Scott and meeting with Ms. Scott's future husband Martin Luther King. After the Conservatory, Nancy briefly worked for the US Government in Washington DC and then returned to Maine to marry her husband, Raymond Bean also from Waterboro. Together they raised five children; Raymond Jr., Bradford, Angela, Spencer and Larry. While enjoying her family, Nancy found time to work as a teacher in Burlington MA, as an auditor for the IRS, and for the First Bank of Boston. In the early 1970s, she and Raymond started and operated two food take-out services in Salisbury Beach, MA for the summer seasons as a fun way to put her children to "work". 

From the late 1970s to early 1990s, Nancy and her family lived in Boca Raton FL where, she pursued a career as real estate broker before eventually returning home to Maine after the death of her husband. She proudly served as a member on the Waterboro Historical Society, the Waterboro Cemetery Committee, and the Rebekah Independent Order of Oddfellows. She was also a  member of the American Guild of Organists and served for a number of years as church organist for Trinity Church in Saco, ME and other church services in Kennebunk.

Nancy is preceded in death by her parents James and Elizabeth Earl, her sister Lillian, her brother James, her devoted husband Raymond, and her sons Raymond Jr. and Spencer. She is survived by her brother William, her daughter Angela, sons Bradford and Larry, her granddaughter Angela Herron with her husband Mark and two great grandsons Mark Jr. and Luke of Tallahassee, FL., along with numerous nieces and nephews.

Nancy's adventurous spirit, love for Maine, wicked sense of humor, passion for music, cooking and devotion to her church and family will be missed forever by those that knew and loved her.

A graveside service will be held on Thursday, September 9th at 10:30 at Pine Grove South Cemetery in Waterboro.

Condolences may be expressed at www.blackfuneralhomes.com