Nance Ann Montgomery

Nance Ann Montgomery of Phoenix, Arizona, passed away on June 7, 2025, after a period of declining health. Nance was born on August 9, 1932, in Portland, Maine. She grew up on Peaks Island, a short ferry ride from Portland.

Nance married her high school sweetheart, Norton Montgomery Jr. in 1950. Nance and Norton (“Monty”) raised their 2 young children, Stephen and Mikelle, on Peaks Island, Maine and during teenage years in Phoenix, Arizona. While on the island, Nance and Monty worked as a team to renovate their home on Torrington Point. They loved doing projects together. She knew how to work a skill saw and hang wallpaper like a pro.

On Peaks Island, Nance gave back to the community. She created the weekly handouts for services, created items for bake sales, and sang in the choir at the Brackett Memorial Church. And she was a recording secretary for the Calends Study Club who brought people together for book talks, poetry readings, illustrated lectures and to document island history. Nance also volunteered at the Maine Medical Center in Portland, ME., she taught swimming to children in Winthrop and was a lifeguard and swimming instructor for many years at the YWCA in Portland.

Nance’s deep love of words—both on the page and on the stage—shaped much of her life. As a passionate reader and thespian, she took center stage as the leading lady in Arsenic and Old Lace at the Peaks Island Playhouse, a beloved theater that once welcomed talent from across the country, including the iconic Bette Davis. It was one of many ways she brought stories to life and left her mark in the hearts of those around her.

Nance had an extraordinary way with animals. Birds gravitated to her, stray cats found refuge at her doorstep, and neighborhood dogs all but moved in. Nance loved showing her 110-pound German Shepherd, Jager, at local AKC events, and often, they returned home with blue ribbons in hand.

Nance and family moved to Phoenix AZ in 1967. She went back to school and obtained her master’s degree in education from ASU in 1974. For 15 years, Nance taught English and literature to 7th and 8th graders in the Washington School District. Her imaginative and engaging teaching style left a lasting impression, making her an inspiring role model to generations of students. Her warmth, wit, and expressive spirit left an imprint on everyone lucky enough to be in her audience.

For Nance, life was meant to be explored from every angle—sometimes even from the sky. Never one to shy away from a challenge, she earned both her pilot’s and real estate licenses. Her vision blended adventure with ambition: she’d fly her high-end clients to discover their dream properties from above. It was classic Nance—ambitious, inventive, and always charting her own course. Sadly, high blood pressure grounded that dream before it could fully take flight. But in true Nance fashion, the spark of ambition never dimmed—she simply looked for the next horizon to explore.

Even in retirement, Nance sought out ways to give back. For about a year, she and Monty volunteered with a home-delivered meals program for seniors in West Phoenix—bringing warm food, friendly smiles, and a genuine sense of care to those they served. It was just one more way they stayed rooted in compassion, always finding meaning in lifting others up.

Nance’s happy place has always been the ocean. She cherished the quiet mornings on the island, often setting out on foot or by bike when the world was still and the air held that crisp, salty bite. Summers were spent swimming and boating off Sandy Beach with family and friends. And true to her spirited nature, she’d bundle up the kids for winter picnics on the snowy beach—moments that turned chilly days into warm memories.

When Nance and Monty retired, they hitched up their trailer and journeyed 2,600+ miles from Phoenix to a quiet campground on Orr’s Island, Maine, where the Atlantic stretched out before them. There, they spent summer after summer wrapped in salty breezes, good company, and the kind of memories that settle deep in the soul. Nance often joked that the ocean air was her elixir of life—and maybe, just maybe, she was right.

Nance leaves behind her children Stephen Montgomery and his wife Doreen and Mikelle Potkin and her husband Michael. She also leaves behind her grandchild Jennifer and her husband Scott Miller, and great-grandchildren Jada and Alyssa Miller. Her extended family includes her 2 sister in-laws and 1 brother in-law, cousins, nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Nance’s memory to the Alzheimer’s Association, ALZ.ORG.

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