**Neila Beth (Nichols) Noyes, 91**
PORTLAND — Neila Beth (Nichols) Noyes, 91, passed away on October 8, 2025, after being a resident of Fallbrook Woods memory care facility in Portland, Maine, for the last 13 months.
Neila was born on May 21, 1934, in Farmington, Maine, to Donald Nichols and Pearl Beane Nichols. She grew up in Wilton with her mother, her stepfather Thornal Welch, and her sister Jean Welch. Neila graduated from Wilton Academy in 1953, where she enjoyed playing field hockey and being a member of the Glee Club.
After graduation, Neila was employed at Woodworkers of Weld, where she met the love of her life, Phillip Noyes, Jr. Neila and Phil were married on November 10, 1956, and welcomed their daughter Tammy Jean in 1959. The family spent 25 years in Mechanic Falls while Phil served as a Forest Ranger for the State of Maine Forestry Department. During this time, Neila worked as a food service manager at Oxford Hills High School.
Following Phil’s retirement in 1984, they moved to Hebron, where Neila resided until 2017. Their time in Hebron was very special to Neila, as they lived next door to Tammy and her family. Living close to her daughter and grandchildren, Joshua and Ashley, meant the world to her.
Neila continued her food service work in Hebron, spending time at Hebron Academy and later as a teaching assistant in the foods program at Central Maine Community College (CMCC). In their later years, Neila and Phil enjoyed spending time in Florida and cherishing moments with their grandchildren.
Always a social butterfly, Neila remained active and engaged with friends and social activities well into her 80s, until her vision decline made driving difficult. She valued her independence, living in her own apartment in Livermore Falls from 2017 to 2024 and driving herself to visit friends and go shopping.
Even after she stopped driving, Neila made use of the Western Maine Transportation bus for shopping trips to Farmington, sharing delightful stories of her outings and the fun she had. She loved to have a good time and always had adventures to tell.
Neila was predeceased by her baby boy in 1962; her husband, Phil Noyes Jr., in 2010; her daughter, Tammy Noyes Field, in 2017; her mother, Pearl Welch, in 1999; stepfather Thornal Welch in 2009; sister Jean Welch in 2012; father Don Nichols in 1998; and half-brother Don “Mackie” Nichols in 2004.
She is survived by her grandson Joshua Field and his children Kenzie and Cole Field, all of Middleburg, Florida; granddaughter Ashley Field and her daughters Logan Cabral and Alexis Lezzi, all of Lewiston, Maine. She is also survived by two special nieces, Beth Welch of Melbourne, Florida, and Anne Gray of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, as well as two nephews, John Welch of Wilton and Mark Sterry of Jay.
The family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the staff, doctors, and nurses of Fallbrook Woods in Portland for their care and compassion during the 13 months Neila was a resident there. While Neila would have loved to remain independent and live on her own, the family appreciates the safe and caring environment she enjoyed at Fallbrook Woods when the time came for her to be cared for.
A graveside service will be held at Robertson Cemetery, West Side Road, Weld, on Saturday, October 25, 2025, at 2 p.m. All are welcome to attend.
https://www.sunjournal.com/2025/10/17/obituaryneila-beth-nichols-noyes-2/
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