Nadine L. Weiger Obituary (1925 - 2014)

GREENVILLE JUNCTION-Nadine L. Weiger, 88, passed away peacefully on January 7, 2014, at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, from complications related to a fall on December 27. She was born in Bessemer, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, on April 4, 1925, the daughter of John Gordon Luxmore and Mary (Blaha) Luxmore. She graduated as salutatorian from A.D. Johnston High School in Bessemer in 1943, then went on to earn an R.N. at the Johns Hopkins Hospital School of Nursing in 1947 and a B.S. in nursing at the University of Maryland in 1961. "Deanie", as her friends called her, was a highly skilled and compassionate nurse, and she was awarded membership in the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. In 1953, she admitted the first patient to the Clinical Center at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. There, she worked in clinical research studies that led to the development of modern cancer treatments that have saved countless lives. In 1957, she married Dr. Robert William Weiger, a fellow researcher whom she met at NIH. They had a son who died in infancy in 1958, and a daughter, Dr. Wendy Weiger, born in 1961. Deanie spent the following two decades as a homemaker; she was a loving and devoted wife and mother. After her husband's death in 1982, she pursued a second career in the antiques business, managing a shop in Kensington, Maryland. In 1991, Deanie retired and joined her daughter Wendy in Brookline, Massachusetts. In 2003, they moved together to the Maine Woods, where they shared a home in Greenville Junction and a camp on the shore of First Roach Pond. Deanie lived life to the fullest, right up to the day of her fall. She enjoyed music; in high school, she played the French horn, and she passed her love of singing on to her daughter Wendy. She enjoyed experiencing new cultures and landscapes as she and Wendy traveled the world together. She loved nature, and particularly enjoyed exploring the Maine Woods through hiking, snowshoeing, and canoeing. Over the past few years, she helped to edit Wendy's upcoming book, Earth Miracle: Why We Need Nature and Nature Needs Us. Deanie's deep Christian faith was central to her life. She was an active member of Union Evangelical Church in Greenville, where she served as a deacon, was a member of the Christian Education Committee, volunteered in the thrift shop and ecumenical food pantry, and helped with worship services at the local nursing home. Her final volunteer effort was a Christmas Eve service at the nursing home just three days prior to her fall. Deanie is survived by her daughter, Dr. Wendy Weiger, of Greenville Junction and First Roach Pond; her niece, Miss Renee Annear, of Bessemer, Michigan; and numerous friends. Her loving presence was a light and inspiration to the many people whose lives she touched. She will be sorely missed. A memorial service will be held 11 AM, Saturday, January 18, 2014, at the Union Evangelical Church in Greenville, with the Rev. Dr. Robert Veon officiating; there will be a luncheon at the church following the service. Friends may call at the church for a time of visitation on Friday, January 17, 6 to 8 PM. In lieu of flowers, those who wish may donate to the food pantry where Deanie volunteered: Moosehead Associates, c/o Belinda Roberts, PO Box 108, Greenville, Maine 04441. Arrangements by Crosby & Neal, Greenville.