BETHEL — Nancy Leveille, 53, most recently of Bethel and formerly a longtime resident of Hebron, passed away peacefully Sunday, Dec 24, surrounded by her family, after a brief battle with cancer.

She was born in Berlin, N.H., on Dec. 31, 1963, to Roland and Cecile (Tombs) Leveille. Soon after they moved to Keene, N.H., then Troy, N.H., where she helped her parents and siblings run Roland’s Troy Market. She attended Monadnock High School, graduating in 1981.

Nancy moved to Maine in 1994, where she became self-employed, owning Nancy’s Sterling Plus in Auburn, Brunswick and Boothbay. She was soon known as the silver gypsy after closing her storefronts, making a career out of selling silver jewelry and novelties at fairs across the country. On many occasions you could find her setting up shop at Riverside Flea Market in Lisbon, or any place she could park her van up and down the East Coast!

She was a loving mother and memere who had a one-of-a-kind boisterous laugh! Her love of children and animals were her passion, and came above everything else in her life. There was never a time she didn’t have a house full of both. Many times people would joke about her owning a zoo! Her house was always open to anyone who needed it, and she always made sure children had a voice.

She is survived by her father, Roland Leveille, of Troy, N.H.; son, Jaice Leveille, and his wife, Tina, of Winchendon Mass.; daughters, Kayla Leveille and boyfriend, Ellis Williams. of Bethel, Jazmyne and Alysha Hagar of Bethel; sister, Louise Centra of Dundee, Fla.; nieces, Angelina Malone and her husband, Gregory, of San Antonio, Fla., and Aimee Hendrickson and her husband, Paul, of Marlborough, N.H.; grandchildren, Patrick, Preston, Evan, Aurora and soon-to-be, Atreyu; great-nieces and -nephews, Zac, Brian, Samantha, Andrew and Micheal.

Predeceased by her mother, Cecile Leveille; brother, Armand “Paul” Leveille; and niece, Kimberly Centra.

Nancy Leveille