Nan Noell’s work life had many twists and turns, including years spent in restaurant management, addiction counseling, and estate management. The East Hampton resident died at home of respiratory failure on Oct. 6. Her sisters were with her at the time. She was 66 and had been ill for nine months.
“Throughout her personal and professional life, Nan presented a dedication and tireless effort to offer guidance and support to any who came across her path,” her family wrote. “She dispensed this with a measure of her well-known unique, honest, and energizing personality. Nan will be severely missed by her many close friends.”
Ms. Noell was born in Jersey City on June 14, 1953, a daughter of Ralph William Sheprow and the former Madeline Sullivan. She grew up in Monmouth Beach, N.J., and attended Our Lady Star of the Sea Academy, Red Bank Catholic School, and Shore Regional High School.
After high school, Ms. Noell moved to New York City and took a job as a restaurant hostess and waitress. She worked her way up to hold management positions at several high-end Manhattan restaurants. She moved to the South Fork in the late 1980s and stayed here for the rest of her life.
She worked as a personal assistant and estate manager while taking classes at Suffolk Community College, where she received an associate’s degree with a focus on psychology and addictions, and at Hunter College in Manhattan, where she received a certification in nutrition and wellness. She was a member of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society, and she considered her greatest achievement to be earning certification as an alcoholism and substance abuse counselor.
Ms. Noell counseled people struggling with addiction through the Long Island Center for Recovery and the Family Service League.
Her mother, who lives in Monmouth Beach, survives her, as do her siblings, Mark Sheprow of Spring Lake, N.J., Matthew Sheprow and Ellen Ramirez, both of Sea Girt, N.J., Brian Sheprow of Monmouth Beach, and Nora Hibbits of New York City. Her long-term partner, Douglas Brown of Sag Harbor, also survives, and she leaves behind her beloved dog Valentino, whose nickname was Baby.
Ms. Noell donated her body to medicine at Stony Brook University. Memorial donations have been suggested to the Cormaria Retreat House, P.O. Box 1993, Sag Harbor 11963, or to Fighting Chance at P.O. Box 1358 in Sag Harbor.
A service for Ms. Noell will be held on Nov. 9 at 11 a.m. at Cormaria, 77 Bay Street in Sag Harbor.