Nancy Godwin

Nancy Christina Godwin (Ahlberg), 68, of Portland, died peacefully at home on February 24, 2023, surrounded by her loving family after a short but courageous battle against cancer.

Nancy was born in Middletown, CT on December 9, 1954, to Eric and Dorothy ( Johnson) Ahlberg of Portland, CT. She was a 1972 graduate of Portland High School and a 1995 graduate of the Ona M. Wilcox College of Nursing in Middletown, CT. She retired from Connecticut Valley Hospital in Middletown, CT in 2016. She loved her career as a nurse, and she served her patients with true compassion and humanity.

Nancy is survived and greatly missed by her loving husband of 48 years, Robert, of Portland, and their children Matthew ( Jamie) Godwin of East Hampton, CT, Betsey (Philip) Lynch, of Nantucket, MA, and Jennifer (Stephen) Lohmeyer of East Haddam, CT. She will be forever cherished and remembered by her seven grandchildren Dylan, Madison, Colin, Padraig, Keira, Ellinor, and Abigail, and her three great-grandchildren Lily, Daisy, and Weston. She is also survived by her sister

Lisa Brochu, of Portland, CT, Joan (Ellen) Ahlberg, of Portland, OR, and William Ahlberg of Middletown, CT. She will be loved and missed by her many loving aunts, nieces and nephews, and cousins.

Nancy is predeceased by her parents Eric and Dorothy ( Johnson) Ahlberg, of Portland, CT, and several aunts, uncles, and brothersin-law.

Nancy will be remembered for her kindness, generosity, and compassion. She always saw the good in people and truly cherished her family, friends, coworkers, and even random encounters with strangers. She was an attentive listener and cared deeply about people and their stories. She had a gift for serving others and was accepting of all.

She was an active member of her community and Zion Lutheran Church, where she was a lifelong member.

On the morning after her passing her children found an old newspaper clipping in her jewelry box that perfectly captured her outlook on life. It said, “On judgment day if God should say ‘Did you clean the house today?’ I’ll smile and say, ‘I did not—I played with my children, and I forgot.” She valued spending time with those she loved, especially her children and grandchildren, and creating beautiful memories together.

She loved family vacations on the coast of Maine and could always be found swimming in the frigid cold water. Her cold-water dips weren’t exclusive to Maine. She was lucky enough to live by Great Hill Lake which she frequented almost daily from Spring until Fall. She loved camping with her husband, especially in her retirement when she had the freedom of packing up and going whenever they wanted to. She was very proud of her Swedish heritage and loved traditional Christmas Eve celebrations with her extended Swedish side of the family.

Nancy found easy joy in the simple things in life: listening to the birds, gardening, playing setback, and having a good cup of coffee. She loved her frequent visits to Nantucket to visit her daughter, where she enjoyed walking along the many beautiful beaches, reading books while listening to the sounds of the ocean, and shopping at the “Madaket Mall.”

Nancy was passionate about volunteering and giving back to her community. She was active in the organization Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services (IRIS) and with Amazing Grace Food Pantry in Middletown. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her name to these organizations at https:// irisct.org/donate/ and https://svdmiddletown.org/ donate-to-svd/.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, March 2nd at 10 a.m. in the Zion Lutheran Church, 183 William St, Portland. Burial will be in the family plot in Swedish Cemetery, Portland. Friends may call at the Portland Memorial Funeral Home, 231 Main St., Portland, on Wednesday, March 1st from 4-6 p.m.