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Nicholas Hoyt Witte

Date of Death: June 6, 2025

Date of Birth: April 16, 1925

Biography:

Falmouth- Nicholas Hoyt Witte of Falmouth, Maine, died peacefully surrounded by family and loved ones on Friday, June 6, 2025. He was 100 years old.

 

Known for his generosity and wisdom, Nick had an infectious warmth of character and appreciation of others, whether old friends or new acquaintances. Always cheerful, always smiling, and always ready to help, Nick was a model of patience, humility, and grace for family and friends. He was a friend to all who knew him, loyally supporting both colleagues and subsequent generations with thoughtful advice and gentle guidance. Nick had a natural poise and an uncanny ability to consider different perspectives. 

 

Born on April 16, 1925, in Brooklyn, New York, to Edward and Eleanor Witte, Nick grew up mostly in Massachusetts, in particular, in a former Shaker farmhouse in the town of Harvard. He was the oldest of seven– Isabel, Ned, Penny, Faith, Polly, and Betsy–  and attended schools in Harvard, Cambridge, and Weston, as well as two years of homeschooling. Nick then attended Groton School, graduating in 1943 and Harvard University, class of 1947. However, due to World War II, he graduated after two and a half years in order to serve in the U.S. Navy in 1946 as a Lieutenant JG navigator mostly in Guam.

 

Following his service, Nick moved to New York City in 1946 and began his professional career at First Boston Corporation. Nick remained at First Boston for his entire career from 1946 until 1987. He rose from ticket counting to head of corporate bond trading to managing partner of international corporate finance to restructuring internal operations as First Boston merged with Credit Suisse. After officially retiring, Nick continued as a financial advisor for many years both in New York and Maine.

 

Nick married the love of his life, Louisa Raven Coffin on August 9, 1952 at the All Souls Church in Tannersville, New York. Nick and Lisa honeymooned at his family’s rustic cabin in Little Deer Isle, Maine. Following their marriage, they lived in New York City before moving to northern Westchester County, New York after the birth of Mary, the first of their five children.  Settling in Bedford Hills, New York, Lisa and Nick brought up their family, attending St. Mark’s Church in Mount Kisco, then St. Matthew’s in Bedford Center. As a father, Nick was a quiet and reliable advisor. His children do not recall his ever raising his voice to anyone. When his child or grandchild made a bad decision, Nick would wonder what was behind it and ask how he could help, embodying unconditional love.

 

Nick and Lisa moved to Freeport, Maine in 1988 after his retirement from his career in New York. Remodeling a colonial-era home, they quickly immersed themselves in the local community. Nick and Lisa sang in the choir at the South Freeport Congregational Church and actively participated in Maine Coast Heritage Trust and Freeport Historical Society. Nick enjoyed several individual pursuits as well, including the Stone Post Group where members would entertain each other with individually written theses on a vast array of topics. 

 

Throughout his life, Nick was a nature lover and a conservationist. He was an amateur bee-keeper during his Bedford Hills years, sharing his craft with his nearby brother-in-law Buzz Wyeth. Nick and Lisa were frequent visitors to England in order to see Nick’s beloved sister, Isabel, and to hike from town to town in the moors of Yorkshire. At home, Nick quietly adored a succession of dogs with whom he had an uncommon connection. Many friends knew Nick and Lisa through their daily walks with dogs at Twin Brook in Cumberland.

 

After Lisa’s death in 2020, Nick continued to live in their cottage at OceanView in Falmouth, his residence since 2008. He was loved not only by his surrounding family, but also by his devoted team of caregivers. Even in his advancing years with failing memory, Nick often kissed the hand of a departing caregiver only to greet her warmly the next day. 

 

Nick is survived by his four children, ten grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.  Nick’s children are Sarah Witte of Yarmouth, ME, Lizzie McIntire of Yarmouth, ME, Nick Witte of Cumberland, ME, and Ned Witte of Milwaukee, WI. Nick’s firstborn child, Mary, died at the age of four in 1958. Nick’s life will be celebrated at a service on Friday, August 22 at 11 am at the South Freeport Congregational Church, 98 S. Freeport Rd., Freeport, ME.  In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Island Heritage Trust, 420 Sunset Rd, Deer Isle, ME 04627.

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