Edith Helen Doane of Melrose passed away on May 19, 2014 at the age of 102. At the time, Edith was a resident of the Daniel’s House Nursing Home in Reading, MA after residing for 10 years at the Fitch Home in Melrose, MA.
Born in North Brookfield, MA, August 31, 1911, Edith was the daughter of Leon and Grace (Hoyt) Doane and was preceded in death by her sisters, Lois, Marion Bartley and her brother, George.
Edith had a long and notable nursing career. She received her RN degree from Worcester Memorial School of nursing and later obtained BSN and Master’s degrees in nursing from Boston University. She worked as a nurse and also taught nursing in several hospitals along with being Director of Nursing at Portland Maine Hospital (now Maine Memorial). Edith retired as director of nursing for 14 years at Malden hospital in 1975. But she remained a Nurse until the day she went home to be with the Lord.
Edith was a lifelong member of the Church of Nazarene in Malden Ma. Where she served as missionary president, prayer warrior and taught an adult Sunday School class well into her 90’s. Edith was quiet and humble, but would often sponsor children to summer camps, adults for retreats and more because she wanted everyone to know the Lord. You knew if you asked Edith to pray for you, that she would pray without ceasing and then she would rejoice in answered pray. She loved to hear what the Lord was doing in your life. Edith had a wonderful memory, smile and sense of humor. In Edith’s younger years she loved to travel and would often go on trips with church friends and then type up journals of places she had visited. Edith went to Jerusalem, and drove cross county. Edith was very proud of her hometown North Brookfield, and loved to tell stories about her life on a dairy farm. In her later years at Fitch she loved to have visitors and catch up with what God was doing in their lives. Edith especially loved the nurses at Fitch some who she knew from her nursing career or the new ones just starting out. She was always overjoyed to get mail from old friends and visits from Dr. Grace, Linda and Lily.
At Edith’s 100th birthday she was asked “What was the secret to living to be 100” She would answer with a smile “Having the Lord in my Life” Anyone who knew Edith would say what a special lady she was, one who loved the Lord and wasn’t afraid to tell you about HIM. Edith touched many lives and will be missed.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
The funeral and Celebration of life service will be held at the Malden Nazarene Saturday May 24, 2014 at 11 a.m. Following the funeral service, the body will be interred privately in the family plot at the Walnut Grove Cemetery in North Brookfield, MA.
Donations can be made in her memory to the
Malden Nazarene Church
529 Eastern Avenue
Malden, MA 02148
Or to
Fidelis Hospice.
25 Railroad Sq,
Haverhill, MA 01832