On July 13, 2021, heaven welcomed a beautiful new angel, Anna Titherington Nutter, 32. She joins her Grammy, her Uncle Ron, and her Poppy who were already there, waiting to welcome her home. Anna was born in Rockport, but moved with her family to Houston, Texas when she was 6 years old.
From childhood, Anna was someone people couldn’t forget. Beautiful, intelligent, and vivacious, she could smile in a way that lit up any room. Anna loved to sing and spent several years in the renowned choir of Palmer Memorial Church, led by Courtney and Brady Knapp.
After graduating from St. John’s School in Houston, Anna attended Bowdoin College where she majored in American history and minored in Africana studies. As a participant in the PBS re-creation of the Freedom Riders bus journey, she had the honor of sharing lunch with Rep. John Lewis, one of the original Freedom Riders.
Upon graduation from Bowdoin, Anna took the CETA course to be trained to teach English overseas. She did a few stints in Moscow, a city she both loved and hated. She also had the opportunity to work as a governess for the children of a Russian oligarch during a summer when the family vacationed on the French Riviera. Anna loved to tell the story of the time she drove the family’s Bentley through town while wearing her flashy sunglasses. Several tourists ran after her, thinking she was a movie star, which she thought was hysterical.
Anna’s next adventure was a Fulbright year in Ukraine, teaching English at two Kiev universities. She came to truly love the Ukrainian people, particularly her students, who were equally devoted to her.
Last year Anna entered graduate school at Yale University’s Macmillan Center for Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian Studies. The family plans to set up a scholarship in Anna’s name through Yale to benefit future students in this program.
Anna is survived by her mother, Jeanne Titherington, of Bremen; her father and step-mother, James Nutter and Lucy Puryear, of Houston and Waldoboro; brother, John Gabriel Nutter, of New York City; grandmother, Diana Nutter, of Natchez, Miss.; and godmother, Christine Spinella, of Portland. She also leaves behind her aunts and uncles, Geoff and Rachel Titherington; Greg Titherington; Andrew and Sheila Bloom; Nicholaus and Katie Bloom; Ashley and John Ward Junkins; Chris and Kathryn Nutter; and many, many cousins.
The family wishes to express sincere thanks to the Yale Medical Community who did their best to try to make things turn out differently.
Jeanne and her family will be having a private service to remember Anna next week. A celebration of Anna’s life will take place at her mother’s home in a few weeks when all will be welcome. Those details will be made available as soon as possible.
Local arrangements are under the direction and care of the Strong-Hancock Funeral Home, 612 Main St., Damariscotta. Condolences, and messages for her family, may be expressed by visiting stronghancock.com.
