Nancy Dyer Gray

Nancy Dyer Gray (November 10, 1932 – May 25, 2020) was an American businesswoman and conservationist. She established the Harraseeket Inn, in Freeport, Maine, in 1984, and went on to become president of both the New England Innkeepers Association and the Maine Innkeepers Association. She was also the eighth recipient of the Master Innkeeper of New England Award.

Life and career Nancy Gail Dyer was born in South Portland, Maine, on November 10, 1932, to Rodney William (Bill) Dyer and Beatrice (Bea) Allen. She was their second daughter, alongside Joyce (Jody). Her great-grandfather, Alphonse Dyer (1849–1920), was a sea captain.

After World War II, her parents bought a series of sporting camps, known as Birch Island Lodge, on Holeb Pond, near Jackson, Maine (birthplace of Alphonse), and the family moved there from Portland. while her sister was a cabin boy, charged with starting the morning wood fires and delivering ice. One of Gray's sons, Rodney (Chip), was the general manager of the inn until early 2020. He was succeeded by Josh Cushing. one of Gray's phrases was, "No farms, no food!" She spent her life supporting land preservation, the quality of water and the protection of animals.

Death Gray died at her home in Freeport on May 25, 2020, aged 87. She is interred in Portland's Evergreen Cemetery.