Nancy (Nichols) Lagace-Smith

Nancy (Nichols) Lagace-Smith peacefully passed away on February 27th, after a prolonged illness. She was surrounded by her immediate family and several close friends. Nancy is survived by her husband of 27 years, James Bradford Smith of Tiverton; her son, Alexander Louis Lagace of Tiverton; her granddaughter, Ava Grace Lagace of Tiverton; her mother, Evelyn Bailey Nichols of Tiverton; her sisters, Susan Joan Neville of Little Compton and Julie Ann Allen of Somerset, MA; and her brother, David Wayne Nichols of East Providence. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

Nancy Nichols was born in Putnam, CT, to Wayne and Evelyn Nichols. Until the age of 9 she lived with her family in an idyllic rural setting in Sterling, Connecticut, surrounded by her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. The Nichols family relocated to Tiverton in 1971, to serve in the fledgling Fall River Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Nancy was a devout Witness her entire life and spent many happy hours in the door-to-door ministry with her spiritual brothers and sisters.

Nancy graduated from Tiverton High School in 1980 and was the first member of her family to achieve a college degree. Her training in accounting served her well and enabled her to contribute to a thriving, family-owned, commercial fishing business, F/V Ellie B. Nancy developed a keen interest in her family’s genealogy, becoming a registered and certified genealogist, tracing her family back to medieval England. The culmination of her research led to her publishing a book, The Nichols of Bradford, England, about her family’s journey from 18th century England to Rhode Island. Nancy loved travel, trekking extensively throughout Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland, as well as France and Italy. And, Nancy was an avid Francophile: devoted to all things French, immersing herself in the culture and language.

She loved her pets, three shih tzus, and cultivating several flower gardens. She developed a passion and a craftsman’s skill at building miniature dollhouses and Victorian era furnishings for them. Nancy was an accomplished artist creating beautiful clay sculptures and figurines. She was much loved and the outpouring of support from her many lifelong friends is deeply appreciated by her family.

Arrangements are Private.