Obituary of Nicholas Aaron Learnard

Nicholas Learnard, age 39, passed away on Friday March 27th due to complications from a 15 month-long and courageous battle with the rare synovial cell sarcoma. He is survived by his wife Alisha Gallant, daughter Inara, loving parents Linda and Greg Learnard, brother Brandon, and a large extended family. Born on January 9, 1981, Nick grew up in Lincolnville Maine among a very loving family and an expansive, ever-supportive community. Nick’s favorite memory from growing up was that the family home on Youngtown Road was “a place where everyone came … a big back yard… the door always open and something fun going on. No matter what, everyone knew you could go to the Learnard’s and be safe. You were always respected there.” It is no wonder that, as a result, “family” and “community” became very important core values that Nick carried with him and modeled throughout his life. Nick attended Lincolnville Central School with an intimate class of 28 kids who stayed together through grade 8 and many of whom remain his friends today. He graduated from Camden-Rockport High School in 1999. Throughout junior high and high school, Nick participated in sports and extracurricular activities of all kinds. He had the pleasure of being a member of the 1999 boys class B basketball state championship team. In 2003, Nick earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in International Studies from West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon West Virginia. After completing college, Nick returned to the Midcoast, working in a wide array of jobs - in particular, several summer camps with Camden Parks and Recreation and Stepping with the Stones Pre-School. In 2008, Nick moved to the Portland/Westbrook area to work for an insurance company and moonlighted at a movie theatre. Wherever Nick went, he enjoyed meeting new people and made lots of friends long the way. He developed a lifelong addiction to fantasy and science fiction, both written and video. But equally he had a strong love for the outdoors, through hiking and kayaking, and a never-ending awe of the natural world. In March 2011, Nick met Alisha Gallant through mutual friends. Alisha quickly became a mainstay of his life and he soon became a dad to her one and a half year old daughter, Inara. Together, they all moved to Bangor and Nick worked for Camden National Bank and then Eastern Maine Medical Center in accounts payable for 3-4 years. In 2018, Nick and Alisha decided that they needed to move out of Bangor and chose Belfast as a desired destination. Alisha landed a job at Athena Health and Nick found his life’s calling as a teacher’s assistant with special needs children at Gladys Weymouth School in Morrill. He loved working with the kids and such a welcoming staff. It made him realize that he had a real gift for helping the students “shine their light out”. Throughout his life, Nick enjoyed opportunities to travel whenever he had them … a trip to Barcelona and Granada Spain in high school, a college January term in Bulgaria, a graduation hiking tour in Ireland with his mom, a road trip with his dad to Sturgis, South Dakota as well as numerous memorable family vacations – camping in Northern Maine, a resort vacation to Margarita Island in Venezuela, visiting Puerto Rico, and touring Seattle & the Olympian peninsula in Washington State. His parting advice was to take your opportunities when you can. But beyond this life timeline and facts, Nick will most be remembered by all as a kind and gentle soul… always there for his friends and lending a helping hand to others when they needed it most. It was heartwarming that so many people were able to tell Nick in person in his final weeks what he meant to them and the difference he had made in their lives. As one friend put it… “You seemed to have lived your life in a way that the rest of us can only pretend to do. And what impresses me most is that your calmness, openness, and unparalleled strength came not only after your diagnosis, but that those traits were there all along.” We will all forever cherish the memory of Nicholas Learnard and how, by his example, he left the world a much better place. A celebration of life will be held on August 8th from 10-12 pm at Riposta Funeral Home 182 Waldo Ave. Belfast, Me., a reception will follow at 12:30 pm at the clubhouse at Springbrook in Belfast. Donations in Nick's memory may be made to Waldo County General Hospital Oncology Department 118 Northport Ave. Belfast, Me. 04915 Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.ripostafh.com