Nancy P. Ives Obituary
Nancy Perron Ives, 91, of Rockport, passed away on Monday, April 13, 2026, surrounded by her loving family. Nancy was born in Taunton, Massachusetts, to Raymond T. Perron and Marcia H. Perron.
She graduated from Colby College in Waterville, Maine, where she majored in French—and where she met Frederick M. "Rick" Ives of Winchester. They were married in 1956.
During Rick's military service, Nancy and Rick lived in Frankfurt with a German family, an experience they fondly considered their honeymoon. Upon returning, they moved to Rockport around 1958, where Rick began teaching eighth-grade American history.
Nancy worked for many years as a secretary at St. Mary's Episcopal Church. Over time, a humorous pattern seemed to emerge: whenever a priest moved on, Nancy would soon be expecting again. It became the source of many lighthearted jokes—jokes Nancy herself enjoyed, thanks to the terrific and irreverent sense of humor that characterized her long life.
She later worked in the office at Rockport High School, where she delighted in the high-spirited energy of students and faculty in the 1970s and '80s.
Nancy was a long-time and trusted friend to many in the town of Rockport, and she especially cherished time spent with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was one of a kind, and we will always remember her front porch laugh—and the lines that made the rest of us laugh right along with her.
She was predeceased by her husband, Frederick M. (Rick) Ives III, as well as her brothers Dean, Robert, and Lee, and her sister Cynthia.
She is survived by her children: Geoffrey Ives (Barbara) of Cornish, Maine; Joel Ives (Florence) of Brookline, Massachusetts; Nathan Ives (Mary Anne) of Rockport; and Cameron Ives (Regan) of Rockport; her beloved grandchildren: Acacia, Rory, Isaiah, Helen, Nathan, Helena, Nora, and Oliver; and her great-grandson, Charlton.
Nancy's. Funeral Service will be held on Thursday, April 30, 11a.m. at St. Mary's Church, 24 Broadway, Rockport. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to Rockport Education Fund, P.O. Box 836, Rockport, MA 01966 Arrangements by the Greely Funeral Home, 212 Washington Street, Gloucester.
