Alice M. Talcott

Alice May Talcott (Nanny, Nannybananny, The General) passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 24, 2022 at her home in Shrewsbury surrounded by family at the age of 95. Alice was born in East Boston to Anna and John Gustavsson on May 11, 1927. She grew up in Winthrop, MA with her sister Esther and graduated from Winthrop High School in 1944. Alice attended the Stratford School in Boston for secretarial training. She worked in the Winthrop School District guidance counseling office assisting students with their college applications as well as in her husband’s law office.

Alice married William T. Talcott, Jr. of Winthrop, MA on July 30, 1949 and they were together for 70 years until Bill’s passing in 2019. Alice and Bill started their life together on Washington Avenue in Boston while Bill was working his way through law school. They moved to Oxford, MA to raise a family when Bill started practicing law.

In Oxford, Alice was a Cub Scout leader for years, and she was an active member of the Parent Teacher Association, the North Oxford Methodist Church, and the Oxford Woman’s Club. She was particularly proud of her efforts in assisting with beautifying the park in Oxford Center. Nanny loved the Red Sox, skiing and tennis, and was a founding member of the Saccarappa Tennis Club. Alice was the ultimate homemaker for her children Christine, Tricia, her son Bill, and her husband Bill. Alice would often comment that her true occupation was a taxi-driver; she was the one driving the children to their school functions and athletic events – she never missed one!

Alice and Bill became snowbirds in retirement, spending 30 years between their homes in Florida and Kokad-jo, ME. Nanny loved the warm weather in Florida and enjoyed taking walks to see the birds and alligators in the nature preserves. She also enjoyed her time in Kokad-jo, though the black flies were her nemesis. Kokad-jo was a place for family to visit, enjoy the cabin, take on challenging mountain hikes, swim, fish, and waterski, and connect with close and extended family. Alice enjoyed traveling and was always game for anything. She had a great sense of humor and was a keen competitor - you dared not attack her game pieces in Parcheesi (“You want to sleep on the porch, Buster?!?”). To nanny, every game of Old Maid was exhilarating and suspenseful, as if it were the first game she’d ever played.

Alice and Bill moved to Shrewsbury, MA in February of 2016 to be closer to family. Alice enjoyed spending time with her family and she was a kind and caring (yet firm) mother, grandmother, great grandmother and was very proud of her entire family. She was also proud of her Scandinavian heritage – singing the lullaby ‘bya bya barnet’ with her children thousands of times. Alice loved her slickeree, and continued to consume her cookies and candies up until her passing.

Alice is survived by daughter Christine Roberts and husband, Gary, of Kokad-jo; daughter Patricia Talcott and husband, Glenn Adams, of Moscow, ID; and son William Talcott and wife, Wendy McGovern-Talcott, of Sutton, MA; as well as grandchildren Jon Hessen; Alexandra Cayer and husband, Andrew; Courtney Talcott; and Haley and William Adams; and great grandchildren Charles, Finn, and Atticus Cayer; along with beloved sister Esther Carstensen of Sunapee, NH; sister-in-law Dorothy Talcott in Lewiston, ID; sister-in-law Marjorie Donovan of Port St. Lucie, FL; and brother-in-law James Blunt and wife, Barbara, of Wakefield, MA.

The family would like to give a heartfelt special ‘thank you’ to the ‘dream team’ of Grace, Mary, and Angelica, along with Joy, Beatrice, Eunice, and Bernadette for their caring and nurturing support of Nanny; the staff of Southgate in Shrewsbury, particularly Jerrica; and hospice nurses Hilary and Mary who were fantastic to work with at the end.

Cremation has taken place and per Nanny’s request, no formal service is scheduled. Donations in memory of Alice can be sent to the Greenville School Department, P.O. Box 100, Greenville, ME 04441, Attn: Scholarships.