SORRENTO
My aunt and Godmother, Ellen Alexandra Stone Devine, known by her family as Nonie, died Sunday night, March 17, peacefully in her sleep. Born on May 17, 1936, to Alexandra Ewing and Thomas A. Stone, Ellen lived an eclectic and dynamic life. Her father served as Canadian ambassador to the Netherlands, which afforded her many opportunities for international travel and living. As a young woman, Ellen was, in fact, presented to the young Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace.
Nonie was a graduate of the Madeira School and the University of St Andrews in Scotland and also attended Queen’s University in Canada, where she earned a master’s degree in history. She was the editor of the Canadian Banker Magazine for several years and later, with her husband, Joseph Devine, and their three kids, owned and managed The Olde Yard Inn on Virgin Gorda, BVI, for over 13 years. Joseph Devine passed away in 1986.
She spent her later years in their beloved family home in Sorrento and was an active member of the community. She was a gardener and floral designer whose arrangements graced many a dinner table and wedding party.
A dedicated volunteer, she worked on projects around the globe like Habitat for Humanity and archaeological sites in Guatemala, Belize, Mexico and here in Downeast Maine. Nonie is mourned by her children, Kate, Alex and Sean, by her grandchildren, Hunter, Aliyah and Tariq, and by all of her other friends and relations.
I best remember my aunt as an avid sailor who loved Frenchman Bay and anything to do with boats. One of my favorite memories was crewing with her exactly 31 years ago this month, March 1988, on the yacht Synia with Charlie Crothers and Helene Ferranti, crossing the Atlantic from Africa to Brazil. There, one night on my watch, we ran into a serious storm — a hurricane being born.
I had new but faulty foul weather gear, which absorbed water by the gallon. After an hour in the hard rain I was so cold and wet I could barely stand to steer. Thinking maybe I was dying, I called below for help. Out of the companionway popped my Godmother, as big as a minute, in her nightgown and old yellow slicker. She took the helm and ordered me below to dry off, warm up, and make a cup of tea.
As I descended into the darkness of the main cabin, I looked back to see if she was OK. There sat this woman, leaning back against the cockpit cushions, steering a big sloop with one hand, water streaming down her beaming face. We were slipping and sliding from crest to crest, booming along through the black of night, and she was laughing, as blissful and relaxed as if she were driving down the Maine Turnpike.
I called out to her that I would be back on deck to relieve her as quickly as I could. “Oh, take your time,” she called back over pounding rain and roaring wind, “I could do this forever…” She will be missed.
A memorial service will be held at the Church of the Redeemer in Sorrento, Saturday, July 6, at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made in her honor to: The World Wildlife Fund or National Public Radio, her favorite news source. She will be forever grateful.