Carolyn Jane Beecher, 85, of Wells, Maine, known to most as simply “Nana,” passed away at York Hospital on October 28 as the result of complications from pneumonia. She was born on August 23, 1932, the only child of John C. and Frances R. (Curley) Hoben. Carolyn’s early childhood was spent in Concord and Wellesley, MA. An allergy to pets with dander ruled out cats and dogs, so her parents bought a White Pekin duck to keep company with young Carolyn. Dottie Duck imprinted on Carolyn and could be seen waddling behind her as the two wandered through the neighborhood. Carolyn’s relationship with Dottie was the beginning of a lifetime love of ducks, domestic and wild.

At the age of 12, Carolyn moved with her recently widowed mother to Manchester, New Hampshire. Carolyn graduated from Central High School and then obtained a degree in elementary education from Keene Teachers College (now Keene State College), where she met many wonderful people with whom she forged lifelong friendships. In 1956, Carolyn married John R. Coughlin and together they raised four children in Swanzey, New Hampshire and spent summers on Drakes Island in Wells, Maine. In 1967, Carolyn agreed to cover a maternity leave for a teacher at the Swanzey Cooperative Kindergarten. When the teacher decided not to return, she stayed on for the next 20 years.

In 1980, Carolyn married Colby (“Jack”) Beecher, a widower with four children. They lived together in Swanzey Center until Jack’s death in 1999. She then moved to Wells, Maine to be closer to her children and the family beach house on Drakes Island. In 1985, Carolyn became a grandmother for the first time and from then on introduced herself to everyone she met as “Nana.” Nana volunteered for many years at the Wells Elementary School, coming in to classrooms to read on a regular basis, serving as a “Guest Reader” for the Celebration of Reading Day and helping with the Literary Achievement Awards and Volunteer Appreciation. When in the local grocery store, Wells children would often point her out to their parents, saying “Look! It’s Nana.”

Nana was ebullient, spunky, funny and irreverent. She loved big, noisy gatherings of friends and family, where she led hilarious games of Charades and Balderdash. She was generous but frugal. A child of the Great Depression, she fervently believed no one needed a whole napkin, that newspapers made great gift wrapping material, and that plastic bags should be washed out and hung to dry on the clothes line.
Nana was known for her love of adventure. When one of her children or grandchildren was debating about whether to take a risk, she’d ask them “Will you be happy you did, or sorry you didn’t?” She loved the driving game she coined “Let’s Get Lost.” The occupants of her car would take turns choosing whether to go left or right until no one knew where they were. The object of the game was to discover a unique and special place none of them had seen and to explore it. The trip home was leisurely and not necessarily linear. Nana would simply drive around until she found a familiar road or landmark.

When Nana’s oldest grandchild was asked in an interview who was the one person that had had the greatest impact on her life, she named Nana, explaining, “She has taught me the importance of getting lost, of taking risks and focusing on the thrill of the adventure and the relative unimportance of the destination.”
Nana’s adventurous spirit earned her the nickname “Nana-can-I-go?” in later life because when she heard that one of her kids or grandkids was going on a trip to some place she’d never been, she’d ask, “Can I go?” Most of the time, she could and she did. Over the years, Nana traveled with family to Alaska, South Korea, France, Denmark, Sweden, Italy, Ireland, England, South Africa, Denver, Arizona, Utah, Seattle, Vermont, Cape Cod, New York City, and Quebec. These trips with Nana were the source of many happy memories.

Nana is survived by her four children: Maryanne (Coughlin) Foley and her husband Robert A. Foley of Wells, ME; Margaret Coughlin LePage and her husband Michel J. LePage of Cumberland, ME; John R. Coughlin, Jr. and his wife Mary Beth (Howe) Coughlin of Swanzey, NH; and Timothy C. Coughlin and his wife Priscilla (Cote) Coughlin of Portsmouth, NH; her four stepchildren, Alan R. Beecher and his wife Karen (Walker) Beecher of Carlisle, MA; Elizabeth Beecher of Rochester, NH; Jeanne (Beecher) Bailey and her husband David of Seattle, WA; and Jonathan Beecher and his wife Joni of Menlo Park, CA and her grandchildren: Patrick and Peter Foley; Burgess, Catie, James and Liza LePage; Gerritt and Carleton Coughlin; Charlie Coughlin, and Lucas, Eli and Nate Bailey. Nana was predeceased by her husband Colby Beecher and a granddaughter, Lerin Foley.

Relatives and friends are invited to a celebration of Nana’s life on Saturday, November 25, 2017 from 1 to 4pm at On the Marsh Bistro, 46 Western Avenue, Lower Village, Kennebunk ME. A tribute will start at 2pm. For further information and to send a tribute in Nana’s memory, please visit www.bibbermemorial.com.
If so desired, contributions may be made in Nana’s memory to: Drakes Island Improvement Association Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 164, Wells, ME 04090.

To share a memory or leave a message of condolence, please visit Carolyn’s Book of Memories Page at www.bibberfuneral.com.

Arrangements are in care of Bibber Memorial Chapel, 111 Chapel Road Wells, ME 04090. www.bibberfuneral.com