When Nancy Fairfield Rumery joined Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution in 1943, she was still a senior at Thornton, riding her bicycle to work. Today, 62 years later, as a part-time vice president and secretary of the corporation, she has no immediate plans for retirement. During her remarkable six-decade tenure she has become the first female vice president of the bank, the first female incorporator, and president of the Maine Women's Banking Association.

While her career has been distinguished, Rumery's involvement in her community has been every bit as important. She has been one of Thornton Academy's most loyal and hard-working alumni, taking the lead in class reunions, the annual fund, the capital campaign and Alumni Tripod. She was a member of the Alumni Association board of directors for nine years, serving as both secretary of the board and chair of the Senior Alumni Committee. She helped create the Senior Alumni Reunion, one of TA's most important annual traditions, which brings 200 older alumni back to campus every fall, and has been a mainstay in growing the event to its twelfth year.

For the past eight years, Rumery has volunteered every week at Bon Appetit Soup Kitchen, preparing and serving meals, and at the Biddeford Free Clinic. Her volunteer service at Southern Maine Medical Center covers a span of 15 years. She has been a member of Altrusa since 1978, helping with their many community projects. One of her favorite tasks has been reading to children at Fairfield SchoolÑduring her lunch hour from work. When her daughters were younger, she led their Girl Scout and Brownie troops. She is a long-time board member of the Maine Community Foundation.

People in the community know that if they ask Nancy Rumery to take on a responsibility, the job will be done and done well. And this generous, community-minded woman is still looking to the future. Of her activism, Rumery says, "I find it rewarding to help people, and I like to keep busy. After I retire, I can really get going with the volunteering."