BARBARA ROY, 78, LONGTIME DEACON AND DEVOTED NURSE DEDICATED TO HELPING OTHERS WINDHAM - Barbara Stacy Roy of Ward Road, Windham, former nurse and longtime Church Deacon, passed away peacefully on September 25, 2018 surrounded by her husband, three daughters, son, and sister. Barbara was 78. Barbara was born in Portland, daughter of Myron and Eleanor Stacy. She graduated from South Portland High School, and completed her Associate Degree at Westbrook Junior College. She graduated from the New England Baptist Hospital School of Nursing and obtained her certification as a Registered Nurse. As a nurse at Maine Medical Center, Barbara was known for her devotion and ability to connect with her patients. She was frequently seen staying after her shift to comfort one of her recovery room patients and often was able to elicit a smile from the very ill people she cared for. Barbara had a smile that would light up the room. No matter how sick her patients were, when she stopped to talk with them, offering them her comforting words and a smile, they would smile too – if only for a second. According to Barbara's family, healing and comforting others was woven through every fiber of her being. After starting a family of her own, Barbara retired from nursing to take on the hardest job of all… raising four children. However, it didn't take long for Barbara to answer her second calling, she became a Deacon at the Windham Hill United Church of Christ. As Co-chair of the Deacons, she assisted the Pastor in the worship and spiritual life of the congregation, in developing a welcoming strategy for Church visitors, coordinated many volunteer activities and assisted with fellowship hour receptions. One of the projects that Barbara was most proud of was the creation of The Columbarium at Windham Hill. Outside of nursing and the Church, Barbara was the same modest, humble and caring person. She was never one to take credit for her hours of service to the community through Windham Hill Club or her exceptional baking skills. Only those who knew her the best, saw her fiercely competitive spirit that came alive during her family basketball and baseball games in the front yard, or a game of Spoons around the dining room table. Though this competitive spirit never shined brighter than when she was watching a University of Connecticut Women's Basketball game, or a Boston Red Sox game. "Nothing ever stood between Barbara and her viewing of a UConn Women's game", according to her husband, Dick Roy. The competitive spirit that Barbara saved for those who knew her best, was fostered by her father, Myron Stacy, who was a semi professional baseball player. Under his tutelage, Barbara led her South Portland High School, Westbrook College, and New England Baptist basketball teams to multiple championships. Barbara was also an amazing chef. While she would never take credit for her work in the kitchen, all four of her children, as well as her extended family, heap praise and talk longingly about Barbara's magic touch as a chef. "She would hand us recipes for our favorite dishes, we would follow the recipes to a 'T', and still, they never tasted as good as hers", claims her daughter, Tracy Roy Hankin. "She had a feel for the flavor of everything she made, and always knew how to throw in just a little bit of this, and a little bit of that to make each creation just right", said her son, Shane Roy (with a big sigh). Barbara's talents in the kitchen extended to her Church family as well. She would make upwards of 20 dozen cookies for the annual holiday cookie walk at the Church. Surviving is Barbara's husband of 53 years, Dick Roy, of Windham, her three daughters, Tracy Roy Hankin of Atlanta, GA, Beth Roy of Los Angeles, CA and Shannan Roy Cosgrove of Hope, AK, and her son, Shane Roy of Bend, OR. Barbara is also survived by six grandchildren, and her sister, Sharon L. Riley of Windham. A Celebration of Life service will be held on Saturday, October 6, 2018 at 3:00pm. The location of the service will be the Windham Hill United Church of Christ, 140 Windham Hill Road, Windham. In lieu of flowers, and should friends desire, contributions may be sent to the Windham Hill United Church of Christ, 140 Windham Hill Road, Windham, ME 04062.