Hilary M. Jacobs, 90, died peacefully on Sept. 15, 2024 at Thornton Hall in Brunswick.

Hilary was born Oct. 30, 1933 in Palmerston North, New Zealand to Effie Joan McRae Reid and William Reid. She was the oldest of four children. She spent most of her childhood in Auckland, New Zealand; attended Auckland Girls’ Grammar School and then the Auckland School of Nursing, graduating May 1955. Soon after she left on her “overseas adventure,” working as a registered nurse in Great Britain, and then Canada.

In 1960, while returning to New Zealand on a passenger ship in the Pacific, Hilary met her future husband, Tom, who was on his own trip around the world. They were married in 1961 in New Canaan, Connecticut and eventually settled in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. Hilary put a lot of love and energy into raising her four children; was a cub scout and girl scout leader; and attended hundreds of her children’s sports and music events. 

She worked as a nurse in the local schools, and successfully ran her own day care business. In the 1980s she returned to higher education and received a BS in Professional Nursing from Pace University. During this time she was happy to become a US citizen.

In the early 1970s the family started spending their summers on Southport Island. Hilary loved Southport. As soon as the school year ended in New York she would move with the children to Southport. She was active in the Southport Yacht Club and helped her husband tremendously when he was commodore.

In the early 1990s Hilary and Tom bought a historic house in Portland, oversaw extensive renovations, and started the West End Inn, which they operated for seven years before moving to South Portland. Hilary was a docent at the Portland Museum of Art, and again returned to college to earn a bachelor of fine arts from the University of Southern Maine. She and Tom took pleasure in collecting artwork of Maine artists. In their retirement Tom and Hilary traveled extensively. They particularly liked crossing the Pacific by ship. In recent years Tom and Hilary enjoyed living in the Thornton Oaks Retirement Community in Brunswick. Hilary volunteered in the Brunswick schools as well as with CHANS Hospice. She loved occasional visits with her three grandchildren who went to Bowdoin College.

Hilary was predeceased by her husband, Tom, and sister, Susan. She is survived by her children Christopher Jacobs and wife Anne, Susan Jacobs Apolinsky and husband Steve, Robyn Jacobs Wright and husband Scott, and William Jacobs and wife Diane; her grandchildren Chester Jacobs, Sally Apolinsky, Bill Jacobs, Emma Jacobs, Bryce Jacobs, Charlie Apolinsky, Tyler Wright and Morgan Wright; her sister Patricia Waymouth of Auckland, New Zealand; and brother Alec Reid and sister-in-law Sheyrell of Brockville, Ontario.

In lieu of flowers, if you would like to make a memorial donation please consider the Southport Memorial Library, 1032 Hendricks Hill Road, Southport, ME 04576. No formal service is planned.