Elizabeth Dunn Nye Ivy

Elizabeth Dunn Nye Ivy, of Middletown, RI and Colchester, VT passed away peacefully and surrounded by love at her daughter's home on Saturday, August 19th. She was 86.

Libby was a wife, a mother, a nurse, a friend, a baker, a collector, a mahjong, rummy and cribbage player, a bird watcher, a gardener, an estate-sale fanatic, and, most dearly, a grandmother.

She grew up in Vermont - first in Bakersfield - where her family owned the Nye General Store - and then in Essex Junction, where she attended and graduated from Essex Junction High School.

After graduation Libby attended the Mary Fletcher School of Nursing in Burlington, VT and received a BS in Nursing from Boston University. She worked as a nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital, and was proudly the Head of Nursing for the team that opened the Shriners Burn Institute in Boston. She earned a master's degree from the University of Massachusetts as a Family Nurse Practitioner, and worked in various capacities as an NP before taking on the role of School Nurse and Health Teacher at Middletown High School. She retired from there with many close and dear friendships, two often-mortified daughters, and a lot of stories.

Her husband Quinton Ivy was a Methodist minister, and during their marriage, he served at the College Avenue Methodist Church in Somerville, MA, the Community Methodist Church in Wayland, MA and Calvary United Methodist Church in Middletown, RI. She took their role as a minister's family seriously, and immersed themselves in all of these communities. Libby greeted new neighbors with baked goods, was always ready to lend a helping hand, would drop anything for someone in need and always, always had time to talk.

She may have lived in Rhode Island, but Vermont was her home, and she cherished her summers spent at their family cottage at Spauldings West Shore. She loved watching sunsets by the lake, Fourth of July cookouts, raspberry picking and the resulting pies, playing card games and mahjong and spending time with her many friends, family members and neighbors in the area. She was crazy about fresh Vermont corn in July, Maple Creemees, spaghetti and meatballs from Boves, olive oil bread from Mazza's and any form of maple sugar candy she could get her hands on.

Of all her roles - wife, nurse, mother, friend - she most loved being Grammie. She attended every school play, concert, recital, graduation or other ceremony with which her grandchildren - Rook and Cole Wild and Anna, Ben and Cecily Gardner - were involved. She was endlessly proud of who they were, and loved them fiercely.

Libby is predeceased by her parents, E. Benjamin and Nellie (Cox) Nye, her husband Quinton S. Ivy, her brother R. Frederick Nye, and her dear friend George Passage. She leaves behind her heartbroken family - children Robyn Ivy of North Kingstown, RI, and Laryn Ivy Gardner and her husband Alan M. Gardner, Jr. of Weston, MA; her brother Charles B. Nye of Longs, SC; her beloved above-mentioned grandchildren, her nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews and many, many friends.

The family is collecting video remembrances to celebrate cherished memories family and friends have of Libby. If you would like to share a brief 1 minute video of a memory of or tribute to Libby, email it to libbyivymemorial@gmail.com.

Calling hours will be on Monday, September 25th from 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm at the Memorial Funeral home at 375 Broadway in Newport, RI. A celebration of Libby's life will be held on Tuesday, September 26th at 11 am at the United Congregational Church at 524 Valley Road in Middletown, RI. Streaming will be available. Please contact the church office at (401) 849-5444 for details. For those of you able to join us in person, please wear something colorful to celebrate Libby.

In her memory, please make a donation to a charity you care about, plant a flower, bake something for a neighbor or do a kindness for someone in your community.