On a warm summer’s day at the end of June, Stephanie Berry peacefully ended her lifelong battle with depression. She separated from her only child, William, her friend and former husband, Tom, and her cat, Panda.

Stephanie was born in Hanover, Pennsylvania and attended schools in Avon Lake, Ohio. She graduated from Kent State University with a degree in interior design. She was very proud of her years marching drum corps, competing at the national level, with the Garfield Cadets.

Stephanie schooling led to a career in kitchen and bathroom design in Rangeley, Maine and the Boothbay region; she would proudly point out the many houses she “did” throughout the region.

About 10 years ago, Stephanie experienced a career epiphany, which led to her graduation from Central Maine Medical Center’s school of nursing. As an RN, she worked as a floor nurse at Miles Memorial Hospital until she discovered her true purpose — hospice nursing. She worked first at St. Andrews and Miles Home Health and Hospice, and later at Maine General Homecare and Hospice. She took each case very personally. She was not afraid of death, and over the years she eased the suffering and fear of hundreds of patients and their families and was their guide to a “good death.” She was a passionate advocate for her patients and was uncompromising in seeing to their care. This passion was not without cost to her, however.

She was proud of her work on the board of directors of Inn Along the Way and was a strong supporter of its mission of providing affordable senior housing within its own supportive community.

But, everything else aside, her son, William, was closest to her heart.

There will be a memorial gathering at the Chapman Farm at the Inn Along the Way in Damariscotta, Maine on Saturday, July 16 at 10 a.m.

Contributions in Stephanie’s memory made be made to Inn Along the Way, P.O. Box 1133, Damariscotta, ME 04543.