Obituary: Lucy Butler Bixby, 1952 - 2026

Lucy Butler Bixby, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, passed away peacefully at her Nantucket home on Wednesday, February 11, 2026.

Born on August 13, 1952, in West Palm Beach, FL, Lucy was the daughter of William (Bill) Bixby II and Barbara Jean (BJ) Bixby. She grew up in Clewiston, FL, and Melbourne, FL. After graduating from Melbourne High School, she studied in Madrid, Spain, for a year and earned her bachelor’s degree from Kenyon College in Ohio in 1975.

After graduation, Lucy headed to Nantucket for the summer. She never left. She stayed that winter and every winter after. Lucy met and fell in love with fellow “wash-ashore” Paul Farrell. They married on Sept. 17, 1983, in Bolton Landing, NY, on Lake George, a place of great meaning to Lucy. As a child, Lucy spent every summer at Lake George and later gave that gift to her family.

Ever artistic, she first developed a passion for photography as a teenager. Over the years, she worked with Xerox copies of color photos, hand-colored black-and-white images, and fine art monochrome and sepia prints. Her favorite subjects were weathered doors and walls, fences, classic wooden boats, classic vehicles, flowers, landscapes, and children. She exhibited for many years at the Nantucket Artists Association and had a show of her Lake George photos at the Hyde Museum in Glens Falls, NY. Lucy’s photographs add much to the current edition of Blue Balliett’s Nantucket Ghosts. Her photos are in the homes of many extended family members and islanders.

On Nantucket, she wore many hats: bartender, scalloper, Nantucket Historical Association docent, bookstore assistant, classroom assistant, Hy-Line employee, and, always, a professional photographer.

She was a devout and involved member of the St. Paul’s Church congregation, leading a mission to Cuba, translating for Laundry Love at Holdgate’s and co-hosting a popular weekly Bible study broadcast. It is a blessing to know through her faith in God through Jesus Christ that she has entered the kingdom of heaven and gets to enjoy the presence of God.

Above all else, Lucy’s most treasured role was that of a devoted mother. She poured her heart into raising her children, championing their dreams, and offering unwavering love, wisdom, and encouragement. She embraced her recent role of grandmother with boundless energy, tenderness, and pride. In recent years, she loved introducing her grandchildren to Nantucket and Bolton Landing, NY, her two favorite places.

Her legacy of love lives on most vividly in the family she cherished deeply.

Lucy is survived by her loving husband, Paul. She leaves behind her three sons — John (Maria Jose) Farrell and their daughter, Esmeralda; Ethan (Katelyn) Farrell and their children, Mackenzie and Landon; and Henry (Megan) Farrell and their daughter, Lillian. She also leaves her sister, Jenny Bixby (Ken Rosenfeld), her brothers, Ethan (Trudy) Bixby and William (Stacey) Bixby III, and many nieces and nephews.

Those who knew her will remember her warmth, charm, and beautiful smile and spirit.

A celebration of Lucy’s life will be held Saturday, March 28, at 1 p.m. at St. Paul’s Church on Nantucket. Lucy will be laid to rest in the family plot at a rural cemetery in Bolton Landing, NY. Chapman Funeral Home is assisting the family. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Paul’s Church.