We lost one heck of a woman on August 11th, when Susan "MA" Angell (also Nana) left this world.  She departed just as she did every family gathering: quickly and without fanfare.  As usual, we are all standing here asking "Where did MA go?"  She was 83 years old.

Born in Fitchburg, MA on February 2, 1940, to Elsie Spitzer and Fedor Berndt, Susan was practically a first daughter to older brothers Douglas and David, and big sister to Fedor, Jr.  Of all the qualities they instilled in her, we will most miss her wicked sense of humor which, thankfully, even Alzheimer's couldn't diminish.  Nana dropping a "BFD" or "I never liked you" meant she loved you very much.

No doubt she captured our father, William Angell, wearing a stylish jacket, a smile, and her signature red lipstick.  She would say the best gift he gave her, other than us of course, was the state of Maine.  Mom LOVED Maine, particularly her Harriet Street home of 50+ years, where she delighted the neighbors by mowing the lawn in her pink bikini and spent countless hours in her garden and on her deck.

We didn't have much growing up, but you could have fooled us.  Mom made Christmas magic with a hundred dollars and her door and cupboards were always open to our friends, many of whom remember her fondly as "MA Angell."   Luckily, or perhaps because we were brainwashed from birth, we all settled near Mom, resulting in regular coffee and dinner drop-ins.  Everyone who knew her, knows how great we are because, well, she told them all the freakin' time.

After Mom's divorce in 1982, the People's United Methodist Church (PUMC) became her family too, and upon retiring from the former Maine Saving's Bank in 2004, she found joy and purpose in her many church endeavors.  There she met her dear friend and walking buddy, Becky Gotlieb, who remained on speed dial to the end, giving Mom comfort and laughter as only she could.

Mom will be lovingly remembered through the retelling of endless "Nana Stories" by her children and their spouses, William Angell Jr and Sue Esty Angell, Pamela Angell and Richard Carr, Kerry Angell and Ron Landry, and her beloved grandchildren James, Samantha and Nicole Foote, Calvin, Maxwell and Cade Carr, and Jake and Brady Angell.  She is survived by her brother Fedor, niece Sarah and nephews Ned, Lawrence, Jon and by many friends in South Portland and beyond.  She has happily rejoined her parents, brothers David and Douglas, sister-in-law Susan, and dear friend Chris Ward.

Special thanks to Mom's caregivers at 75 State Street and Harbor Chase, including  Jean, Naomi, Janet, Lacy, Renee, and many others.

The family will receive visitors at Hobbs Funeral Home, 230 Cottage Road, South Portland on Thursday, August 24th from 4-7 PM.  A memorial service will be held at PUMC, 310 Broadway, South Portland on Friday, August 25th, at 11 AM, followed by a reception at the attached Ellis Hall.  Express condolences at www.hobbsfuneralhome.com.

Memorial donations may be made in Susan's name to PUMC.