Obituary of Nancy Williams Cannell

Nancy Williams Pendleton Cannell, age 78, died peacefully in Camden, Maine on Sunday, October 17th, after 20 years battling Parkinson’s Disease. Nancy lived a full and adventurous life. She was born in Massilon, Ohio on April 13th,1943, the daughter of Pyam Winsor Williams of Islesboro, Maine, and Mary Elizabeth Crowley Williams of Columbus, Ohio. Nancy attended Albertus Magnus and Connecticut Colleges, then moved to her family home of Islesboro, and soon thereafter married Donald King Pendleton on February 20th, 1965. As a dedicated mother, Nancy reared her two sons, Donald Roderick (Rod) and Edwin Pyam (Ted) Pendleton with unmatched love and dedication. There is very little Nancy could not, and did not do, in her lifetime. Nancy was artistic, determined, and energetic until her final day. As a seamstress, Nancy sewed quilts and other home furnishings, having learned the craft from her mother-in-law, Eva Kelly Pendleton. As a natural artist, she drew and painted what made her happy with no prior training. Her coastal garden was large, varied, and productive, and her flowers and arrangements always beautiful. She designed and helped to build her own homes, from style and layout to design and decor. Nancy was a gifted athlete, winning fencing tournaments during college, hunting ducks and shooting skeet on Islesboro, fishing lobster in Penobscot Bay, and boating around the world including Maine, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Pacific Southeast Asia. She was also a licensed small aircraft pilot. Nancy was an adventurous traveler, having lived in Ohio, Connecticut, Maine, Nassua, Florida, England, Thailand, and the Philippines. After marrying Geoffrey Briggs Cannell of England on November 7th, 1989, she traveled extensively, touring Europe, Japan, Hong Kong, India, and places in between. Attending Royal Ascot’s Royal Enclosure, riding the Orient Express through Europe, and cruising the coast of Maine were some of her favorite memories. Nancy is survived by her siblings, Elizabeth (Beth) Williams Brock, Ellen Williams, and John (Jack) Pyam Williams; her children Donald Roderick and Edwin Pyam Pendleton of Islesboro, their wives Denise Beaupre Pendleton and Emily Claire Slocum Pendleton, and daughter Elizabeth Duggan of Maumee, Ohio; and her four grandchildren, William Roderick, Harrison Winsor, Isaac Fields, and Pyam Winsor Pendleton. For photos and images of Nancy’s life and art, visit www.pendleton.ws.