Isla A. Estabrook

Isla A. Estabrook, 91, of Limerick, Maine and Zephyrhills, Florida, passed away peacefully on August 31, 2026, surrounded by her loving family. Born on January 6, 1935, Isla lived a life defined by perseverance, compassion, humor, and an unwavering commitment to helping others.

A devoted mother of seven, Isla pursued her lifelong dream of becoming a nurse in her early forties — a path that required extraordinary determination. When initially told she was “too old” for the nursing program, Isla refused to accept it. For an entire year, she sat on the dean’s steps every day, introducing herself with her signature mix of warmth and grit: “Hi, I’m Isla. I want to be part of your nursing program.” Her persistence paid off, and she graduated Summa Cum laude in the 1979, beginning a career that would touch thousands of lives.

Isla spent the majority of her nursing career at Maine Medical Center, primarily in Critical Care, where she became known for her no nonsense attitude, deep empathy, and ability to help patients reclaim hope during their most painful moments. She treated everyone with dignity, equality, and a fierce belief in their ability to heal. Her goal, as she often said, was simple: “Get them up and out of there so they can get back to their life.”

One of the most profound examples of Isla’s impact came in 1991, when she cared for a young man severely burned in a diesel fuel fire. Isla’s combination of compassion and tough love carried him through, and he continued to credit her with saving his life. Upon his passing in 2022, his estate made a significant donation to Maine Medical Center with one stipulation — that the burn unit be renamed in her honor. The Isla Estabrook RN Burn Unit now provides comprehensive burn care, scar management, and rehabilitation services to hundreds of Mainers each year.

Isla’s compassion extended far beyond the hospital. In 2006, NPR’s All Things Considered featured her in a segment about her volunteer work cleaning gravestones in the Buxton cemetery. At age 71, Isla quietly took it upon herself to scrub and restore hundreds of neglected headstones — beginning with the gravestone of a friend and expanding as she realized how many markers had been forgotten. The NPR piece captured her independence, her humility, and her instinct to care for people even long after they were gone. It was a perfect reflection of who she was: someone who saw a need and simply stepped in to help.

Isla retired in 1999 and spent her later years between Maine and Florida perfecting her love of golf. She began her golfing addiction at the Salmon Falls Country Club in Hollis Maine. She held several club championships while reaching the pinnacle of her career with some of her first holes-in-one. During the winter months, she spent time at her 2nd home at the Betmar golf club in Zephyrhills, Florida where she continued her reign of championships and many more holes-in-one. Isla was also invited to be a member of the Florida States Women’s Golf League, which she enjoyed for many years.

Isla loved the outdoors whether it be hiking in the White Mountains with her best friend Jeannie or family camping every year with all her children and grandchildren. Isla was also an avid reader and would often finish a book in one night. Harry Potter was her favorite book series and she would visit the Harry Potter experience at Universal whenever she could.

She leaves behind her seven children, Lynne Bushway and her partner Larry Gray of Shapleigh ME; Roy Estabrook and his partner Sharon Bickford of N. Monmouth, ME; Mike Estabrook and his wife Theresa of Lyman, ME; Karen Estabrook and her partner Kathy Knight of Saco, ME; Susan Boisvert and her husband Michael of Parsonsfield, ME; Stephen Estabrook and his wife Lisa of Limerick, ME; and Katherine Novak of Windham, ME., 13 grandchildren, and 13 great grandchildren with one more on the way, and countless individuals whose lives were made better by her presence.
Isla was pre-deceased by her beloved first grandchild, Paul Bushway.

Isla’s legacy lives on not only in the hearts of those who knew her, but in the burn center that now bears her name — a lasting tribute to a woman who spent her life helping others rise from their darkest moments.

A private graveside service has been arranged, and her final resting place will be the very cemetery that she so deeply cared for.

Please join us in celebrating Isla’s life on Sunday September 13, 2026, anytime between 11-7pm at the home of Stephen and Lisa Estabrook at 450 Parsonsfield Rd. Limerick, Maine.

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to the Isla Estabrook Burn unit at Maine Medical Center, continuing her mission of compassionate care. Donations can be sent in memory of Isla to MaineHealth Maine Medical Center, ATTN: Philanthropy Department, PO Box 1521, Portland ME 04101.