Alcmene V. Nichols

Alcmene Valacellis Nichols, of Easton, MD, and formerly of Scituate, MA, passed away on Wednesday, January 21, 2015. To those who loved her, Alcmene was known as Minnie--a nickname quickly adopted both by people who caught her infectious energy after mere moments, as well as by lifelong friends who had been depending on her wisdom for decades. Sparked by her intense intellectual and interpersonal curiosity, conversations with Minnie always proved dynamic and poignant. In every role she played--professional, sister, wife, mother, yiayia, friend--Minnie gave those around her two of the most precious gifts: comfort and perspective. A blend of big opinions and an even bigger heart, Minnie was a remarkable woman - the best kind of force to be reckoned with. Born on June 28,1929, to Greek immigrant parents, Elpiniki and Cleanthis Valacellis, she was the eldest of three daughters. She grew up in Watertown, MA, and earned a Bachelors of Arts degree in Social Work from Simmons College. She worked at Harvard University’s Peabody Museum and at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she conducted research on cardiovascular disease. She later worked as an aide to dependent children for the State of Maine. She met and fell in love with Stratton Nichols. During their 54-year marriage, they lived in Virginia, Maine and eventually settled in Scituate, MA, where they owned and ran the Harborview Restaurant on the picturesque Scituate Harbor. In 2007, Minnie moved to Easton to be closer to her children and grandchildren and quickly embraced the community. She made many dear friends, took numerous classes at the Academy for Lifelong Learning, and rarely missed performances by the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra. Minnie was preceded in death by her husband, Stratton Nichols, and is survived by her sisters, Helen Letsou of Salt Lake City, UT, and Chrysanthe Thayer, of Burlington, MA. She leaves her daughters, Dr. Thea Calkins of Baltimore, MD, and Rodanthe Hanrahan of Easton, MD, as well as five grandchildren, Emily and Eliza Calkins, and Kaley, Christopher, and Garrett Hanrahan. Funeral services will be held Thursday, January 29, at 11 a.m. at St. Mark’s Chapel in Easton, followed by interment at the Oxford Cemetery. Friends may call on Wednesday evening, January 28, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Fellows, Helfenbein & Newnam Funeral Home, 200 S. Harrison St., in Easton. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Academy for Lifelong Learning at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (CBMM-ALL, PO Box 636, St. Michaels, MD 21663) or to the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra (PO Box 1697, Ocean Pines, MD 21811).

Alcmene V. Nichols

June 28, 1929 - January 21, 2015