PORTLAND, ME – Joanne B. Lagerson, age 89, passed away at home on March 27, 2026, in Portland. She was born on August 18, 1936, in Lewiston, ME, the daughter of Harold N. and Ella (Herling) Lagerson. Upon the death of her mother in 1941, she was raised by Harold and his second wife, Margaret (Pratt) Lagerson. The family lived in Bethesda, Maryland for a brief time before settling in Wilton, ME.
Joanne dedicated herself to a medical career that took her to many parts of the world, allowing her to build bonds and cultivate lifelong friendships that endured several moves around the country. Specializing in respiratory health, she focused on encouraging people to stop smoking to improve their quality of life and was a firm believer in exercise for fitness and fun. Throughout her life, Joanne was an ardent runner, competing in marathons and races in New York City, NY; Boston, MA; and Nashville, TN. She loved ballroom dancing and embarked on several oceanic dance cruises. At her Nashville home, she nurtured her backyard gardens, created a koi pond, and raised several beloved silky terriers and a Yorkshire terrier who were always at her side. She delighted in hosting family members in Nashville, taking them to Cheekwood to roam the botanical gardens, to the Grande Ole Opry to experience live country music and to attend plays and operas at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center. Joanne loved her Nashville neighbors, who were her best friends.
Joanne graduated from Wilton Academy in 1954 and received her RN certification at Central Maine General Hospital School of Nursing in Lewiston in 1957. She went on to earn her BA in 1962 and MA in 1964 from Columbia University’s Teachers’ College. From there, she earned her Respiratory Therapist certification from Bellevue Hospital and New York University Medical Center in 1972.
As a Clinical Nurse specializing in respiratory disease, Joanne worked for Greenwich Hospital in Greenwich, CT, and Montefiore Hospital and St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York City. In 1973, she opened her private practice, the Better Breathing Bureau, providing respiratory care, nursing, and consulting. Later, she became an assistant professor at the State University of New York’s School of Nursing in Stony Brook, NY, where she taught nursing graduate programs until 1977.
In 1979, Joanne earned her Ph.D. from the Union for Experimenting Colleges and Universities in Cincinnati, OH, then moved to Nashville, TN, where she served as Director of Pulmonary Rehabilitation and Assistant Professor of Pulmonary Nursing at Vanderbilt University. She was a member of the American Nurses Association; Council of Advanced Practitioners in Medical Surgical Nursing; American Registry of Respiratory Therapists, Tennessee Society for Respiratory Therapy; and American Association of Critical Care Nurses.
Upon retirement, Joanne became passionate about natural medicine and adopted a holistic lifestyle. She practiced yoga and Pilates and extolled the virtues of vitamins and herbal supplements. She enjoyed working part time at Nashville-area health food stores including Sunshine Grocery, Wild Oats and Whole Foods. She was often sought out for health supplement advice and developed a regular local clientele.
In 2019 she moved back to Maine to be closer to family. Joanne was predeceased by her father, mother, stepmother, baby sister Janet, sister Jean Johnston, and brother William Lagerson. She is survived by her sister June Benner of Portland, Maine, sister-in-law June Lagerson of Auburn, Maine, and many nieces and nephews.
The family extends heartfelt thanks to the management of Ashton Gardens in Portland, Hospice of Southern Maine, and Andrea Burton at Assisted Care LLC, for their kindness, compassion, and assistance.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Poitras Funeral Homes, www.mainefuneral.com