NAPLES — Nancy Burdick passed November 27, 2020, joining her husband of over 60 years, “Lew” Burdick for a heavenly ride in his 1953 Corvette from their first impromptu date.

Daughter of strikingly handsome, blue-eyed Harold Conant and her beautiful mother, Norma Jean, she was the oldest daughter in a family of four sisters. Tragedy struck when she was just 13, when her father died from a brain tumor. Despite the difficult family circumstances, Nancy graduated from Bridgton High School and was a varsity member of the basketball team. Norma remarried to another WWII veteran, Carl Farnham, and her half-brother Bruce, joined the family.

 Lew and Nancy’s relationship was illustrative of the cliché, “opposites attract,” but there was synergy. Nancy was a bookworm, reserved, and direct. Lew was big picture, gregarious, and negotiable.

Despite these differences, Nancy would say, “we made good decisions” when made as a team.

As a team they renovated houses side-by-side then flipped or rented them aka Burdick’s Apartments. They took advantage of Nancy’s encyclopedic knowledge of antiques by setting up an antique shop on Portland Street known as, you guessed it, Burdick’s Antiques. They could often be seen refinishing or hauling antiques in the area.

 Their leisure activities were oriented around their numerous watercraft and Florida. Over more than a 30-year period, they purchased a deep prow “lobster boat” they named the Albino, an enormous houseboat, and eventually settled on pontoon boats. The pontoon boat parties were legendary over the years, including one with John Elkhay and Suzanne. In the course of a long afternoon, Suzanne lost her purse somewhere along Long Lake (it was miraculously found in the lake by someone) and Lew stepped off the wharf into thin air, dropping into the water. John nearly collapsed on the floor of the boat, laughing hysterically.

Glen, Wendy, Eric, and Allison Almlov were fixtures over the years bringing their boat(s) to tamer yet festive events at various locations up and down Long Lake. The areas included; “Buster’s Beach,” “Sis’s Island,” a rented slip on the Harrison end (courtesy of the Saxby’s), and a partially submerged island. Another epic party took place at Robert Mari’s sister’s house on Long Lake, attended by his companion Stella, and Robert’s son Nick. Lew and Nancy’s grandson Armin who had accompanied them on pontoon rides as a toddler to his early 20s could be seen jumping off the pontoon boat roof (between drinks of beer with Nick and Robert). Nancy was also known to occasionally dive off the roof, surprising everyone except Lew.

As they approached retirement they made trips to Florida visiting “Uncle George” in St. Petersburg in their RV. Eventually George willed the property to Lew where they stayed throughout the winters. The house, overlooking Tampa Bay, was the site of the annual Bridgton area resident snowbird dinner. Christmas visits with their son George and grandson Armin continued in St. Petersburg and after they moved to Spring Hill before deciding to remain in Maine throughout the remaining winters.

While Lew’s passion was cars, Nancy’s was anything that had to do with dogs. Her Dobermans competed in dog shows throughout New England winning various awards. After her competition days were over, she eventually switched to an unlikely breed, the Shar-Pei, a wrinkly breed with a double coat that originated in Southern China. One humorous picture of a Shar-Pei sitting in Lew’s lap, a caption that asks, “Who has more wrinkles?” Even in her spare time, she spent more time with dogs, volunteering at the Harvest Hills Animal Shelter.

 She was born during a time of brewing world conflict that led to World War II. Perhaps this was one of the reasons she dedicated a lifetime of study to it. Dozens of books relating to spy gadgets, Nuremberg Trials, generals, and the SS were in her book collection. Beta and VHS documentaries of aerial wars, naval battles, and war machinery. One of the highlights for her was a trip to the private WWII Museum in Natick, Mass. The museum had the largest collection of WWII memorabilia in the world including original documents from the Treaty of Versailles, personal items from Hitler’s suicide lair, Enigma machines, numerous paintings done by Hitler, and hundreds of spy-related equipment from various countries.

Her other hobby was gardening, at first it was just a rose garden consisting of many species including her favorite, Mister Lincoln, and an enormous wild rose bush George transplanted to her garden. They eventually added a waterfall pond, populated with coy, bullfrogs, and lilies. It became their oasis where they spent many nights.

Nancy is survived by son George Burdick and his wife Vartoohi Burdick of Southborough, Mass., and West Friendship, Md., great-granddaughter Elora Burdick (daughter of the late Armin Lewis Burdick), half-brother Bruce Farnham of Fort Myers, Fla., sister Julie DeVoe of Gorham, sister Linda Allen of Bridgton, sister Patricia Clark of South Bridgton, step-granddaughters Jacqueline Gross of Munich, Germany and Christine Zatoonian of NYC. She was predeceased by her devoted husband Lew, who passed away on May 23 this year. Lew and Nancy were predeceased by their beloved grandson, Armin Lewis Burdick, who died in a tragic car accident on April 29 this year. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Nancy’s memory to the animal shelter via Harvesthills.org through its donations portal under “how you can help.”

The graveside service was held at 1 p.m. December 2 at the Forest Hills Cemetery, Kansas Road, Bridgton.

Arrangements are under the care of Chandler Funeral Home and Cremation Service, 8 Elm Street, Bridgton. Online condolences may be shared with her family at www.chandlerfunerals.com