Nola Patricia Connors

Otis - Nola Patricia (Hanlon) Connors, surrounded by her loving family, peacefully departed this earthly life to be with her Lord on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, after a brief illness. She was a beloved wife of 57 years, mother, sister, friend, and co-worker.

Nola was born on January 3, 1948, to Grace Marie (Joyce) and Albert William Martin Hanlon. She lived most of her early years in Brewer, in a family home on North Main Street that included her grandmother Rena (Houston) Witham and her Aunt Beatrice (Arbo) Witham and Uncle Donald Witham and their son, Arthur David.

Her first date with her lifelong companion and loving husband, William H. Connors, was in 9th grade on the Ferris wheel at the Bangor State Fair. At Brewer High School, Nola enjoyed Home Economics and was a member of the Precisionaires - the high school marching unit that added color to the half-times of the football and basketball games. She interned at the Bangor Daily News and was employed in their advertising department after high school.

Nola graduated from Brewer High School in 1966, and she and Bill were married in 1969. They built a life together and raised a family; they did everything together and were happy to do so. Nola's primary role in their sons' early years was mother and homemaker, a vocation she believed was very important. Later, she attained a degree in Accounting from Husson College (2002) and built a long career through her work at Bar Harbor Airlines, Freightliner, Union 92, RSU 24, and United Technology Center.

Nola was caring, very loyal, and liked helping others. A skilled seamstress, she sewed clothes for herself, her children and her nieces, often mentored by her Aunt Bea. Nola also used her talents to sew quilts for the Project Linus Group at the St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Bangor. Other delights in her life were music, flying, reading, growing vegetables and flowers, cooking, and her hummingbirds. After retirement, Nola made it a point to beat the birds back to Maine after spending winters in the south each year, in order to have her feeders in place and ready to welcome them home.

Another of Nola's passions was helping students who struggled with reading. She worked hard to train and qualify as a tutor at the Children's Dyslexia Learning Center at the Bangor Masonic Center, where she worked twice a week for years. Nola enjoyed her students and often spoke of them with great pride and enthusiasm.

Nola's parents passed early in her life, and she was very close to her Aunt Beatrice and Uncle Donald Witham and their son David. Prior to Bea's passing, a formal adult adoption was arranged to legalize the loving relationship that existed for so many years.

A devout Catholic, Nola prioritized her faith in her life, studied her religion, and enjoyed reading about the lives of the Saints. She enjoyed traditions and what she viewed as her simple life: not always easy, but real. Nola treasured all the memories she made, and her children are the greatest legacy she could have left.

Nola will be greatly missed by her husband, William H. Connors; sons, William Connors, Jr. (wife, Kerry) and Michael (wife, Elizabeth); brother, Arthur David Witham (wife, Lynne); niece, Morgan Witham; grandsons, Aidan and Lucas Connors; granddaughters, Emma and Claire Connors; dear friends, Rhonda Gopan and Joleen Mason; and beloved dog, Sophie.

She was predeceased by her grandparents, Rena and Harry Witham; parents, Grace and Albert Hanlon, and Beatrice and Donald Witham; and dear friend, Debbie Gass.

Relatives and friends are invited to call from 5:00-7:00 p.m., Wednesday, August 5, 2026 at the Brewer Chapel of Brookings-Smith Funeral Home, 55 South Main St, Brewer. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, August 6, 2026 at St. Paul the Apostle Parish, St. Joseph Catholic Church, 531 North Main Street, Brewer. The Rite of Committal will be held at Mount Pleasant Catholic Cemetery, Bangor.

In lieu of flowers, donations to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital at 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 in honor of Nola's memory would be appreciated. Printable forms for mailing and an online donation link are available at their website stjude.org/donate

Condolences to the family may be expressed at BrookingsSmith.com