Nancy Helen Lord (78) of South Portland, Maine, passed away suddenly on Thursday, May 14, 2026. She was born in Schenectady, New York on April 23, 1948 to Helen (Alford) Lord and John P. Lord. She grew up in Brattleboro, VT and attended local schools, graduating from Brattleboro Union High School in 1966 and the University of Vermont in 1971 with a degree in Psychology. She was married for 12 years to Henry Ellis. They made their home in Connecticut and had two children, Jeffrey and Jennifer. Soon after the birth of her second child the family relocated to Keene, NH. She earned a master’s in social work from the University of Connecticut in 1985 and moved to South Portland, ME, where she started her career as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker at Maine Medical Center and Southern Maine Dialysis Center, helping patients who were candidates for kidney transplants. Later in her career, she left MMC and worked solely for the interdisciplinary team at the Maine Health Transplant Program. She was passionate about organ donation and facilitated the transplants of hundreds of kidneys in her career, dramatically improving the lives of her patients.

She loved the ocean, whether it was walking along the coast, kayaking, taking in the salt air, or remembering fondly her childhood trips to Drake’s Island, ME. At home, she loved to read and was an excellent cook, often making elaborate meals from her favorite magazine, Bon Appetit. She loved attending her children’s musical performances and plays. She loved dogs and talked fondly of her childhood dogs, but the dog that touched her heart the most was her giant yellow lab, Marcus, with whom she loved to take long walks at Fort Williams. When she wasn’t with her dog, she enjoyed kayaking in the marshes around Scarborough and painting beautiful watercolors and charcoal drawings. In her later years, she liked to say she was “bit by the travel bug,” and she spent time traveling on cruise ships across the Atlantic, through Europe, and to Alaska. In the summers, she cherished her visits with her college friends Bev Klandl and Nan White, and Sue Blais, the woman she worked with. She also reconnected with her dear high school friends Bonni Burrows and Janet Kearby and enjoyed visiting as well as hosting them at her home in Maine. Her greatest joy in life was spending time with her children and encouraging them to be strong, independent people. She was endlessly proud of them and their accomplishments. She delighted in the happy marriages of her children. Perhaps the greatest joy of the last decade of her life was spending time with her granddaughter, Helen Fenton, and listening to her play the violin.

Nancy was pre-deceased by her father John P. Lord, mother Helen A. Lord, and sister Jane Deubler. She is survived by her children Jeff and his wife Emily of Brewer, ME, daughter Jen and wife Liz Fenton and their daughter Helen of Essex Junction, VT, and sister Susan Flagler and husband Rick of Richmond, NH.

A memorial service for Nancy will be held at Hobbs Funeral Home in South Portland, Maine on Friday, May 29 at 4:00 p.m., with visiting hours from 2:00-4:00 p.m.. In lieu of flowers, please consider becoming an organ donor and make your wishes be known to your loved ones. If you would like to make a donation, please go online to the MaineHealth Transplant program:

Special Projects Donate Now

(https://fundraising.mmc.org/special-project-donate-now). There is a drop-down menu for designation with the option of ‘Kidney Patient Assistance Program.’ Please indicate that the gift is in honor of Nancy Lord.

Donations may also be made via mail to MaineHealth Maine Medical Center- Portland, Attn: Philanthropy Dept., PO Box 1521, Portland, ME 04104 (in memo area please specify Kidney Transplant Program)