Eleanor “Norrie” (Mahaney) Zdanowicz

SCARBOROUGH – Eleanor “Norrie” (Mahaney) Zdanowicz, 90, passed away peacefully on April 8, 2020, at the Maine Veteran’s Home in Scarborough after enduring cancer and Alzheimers. Norrie was born on November 27,1929. Eleanor was the oldest daughter of Alice Saunders (Lowell, Mass.) and Judge Hilary Francis Mahaney (Biddeford, Maine). In addition to her parents she was pre-deceased by siblings, Jane, Alice, Julie, Ann, her brother, David, and her husband of 65 years, Paul Zdanowicz.Norrie graduated from Thornton Academy in 1948 where she played basketball and field hockey, was a member of the Dancing and French clubs and was president of the Girls Athletic Council. She graduated from the University of Maine at Orono in 1952 with a B.S. degree in Education. She taught home economics at Kennebunk High School. In 1954, she married Paul Zdanowicz. They enjoyed a lifetime of wedded bliss, raising two children, Ann and Julie. They both were career educators. Norrie ended her career teaching in North Andover, Mass. Norrie and Paul, often along with their children and grandchildren, enjoyed traveling. They traveled to Canada, including Vancouver, the Canadian Rockies, Lake Louise, Banff and Jasper, Montreal, Quebec City and Nova Scotia, Alaska, Guadalajara, Cancun and Cabo san Lucas Mexico, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Haiti, St. Thomas, St. Marten, British Isles, Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Italy, Turkey, Poland, Thailand, Tunisia, Venezuela, Aruba, Costa Rica and Guatemala as well as many places in the US. Winter vacations were frequently spent in St. Simons Island, GA playing golf with friends. Of all these places Norrie loved Maine best, especially Fortunes Rocks and Biddeford Pool, Sebago Lake, Bar Harbor and Pine Point.Norrie was dedicated to her children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Her family always came first. She made herself available for her family, whether it was through babysitting, cheering on a grandchild or grand niece/nephew at a school event, or hosting holiday meals for her extended family. She was jolly and gay, she was often seen laughing and was always considerate. Her family will forever miss her. The family would like to extend a special thanks to Lisa Foster and Hope Muchie, her companions, for their wonderful care that made life worth living over the past seven years as well as the loving staff on Unit A at the Maine Veteran’s Home in Scarborough. Her brother, Father Hilary Francis Mahaney of Saint Mary of the Angels in Chicago, Illinois, survives her. Also, her two daughters survive her: Ann Zdanowicz Nash and her husband Tom of Falmouth, and Julie Hillary Zdanowicz and her husband Jeff of Columbus, Ohio. Great sources of pride are her grandchildren, Katya, a French teacher at Westbrook Middle School, Hillary a CNA in the NICU at Maine Medical Center, and Ellie Nash an honor student at Falmouth High School.In addition, she is survived by nephews, James and John Salois of California, Jane Acton Doyle of Cape Elizabeth, Alice Acton Lemieux of Plaistow, N.H., Maryann Acton Glidden of South Portland, Kathy Evans Clark of Houston, Texas, Peter Evans of Portland, John Evans of Thailand, Julie Evans of Portland, and their families (11 grandnieces and nephews).A memorial service will be held later in the year after travel restrictions and stay-in-place orders have been lifted and it is safe to gather again. Arrangements are under the direction of the Conroy-Tully Walker Funeral Home, 1024 Broadway, South Portland, Maine. To view Norrie’s memorial page, or to share an online condolence, please visit www.ConroyTullyWalker.comIn lieu of flowers, please make a donation to: Maine Veterans HomeActivities Fund,290 US Route 1,Scarborough, ME 04074 or Maine Sports Legends,28 Colony Road,Augusta, ME 04330.Note on the check Eleanor Zdanowicz Scholarship Fund. Money will be used for a Thornton Academystudent athlete.