Nancy Nelson

Nancy Nelson

Meredith, NH - Nancy Nelson, 92, passed away peacefully on Sunday, July 20th.

She was born in Concord, NH, on January 15, 1933, and returned to the city to buy a home and raise a family with Dick Hill.

Nancy managed a bustling household with six daughters, horses, pets, and a big vegetable garden, and still she created an open yard where all the neighborhood kids were welcome. An equestrian, she taught her daughters how to ride and care for horses. She let one neighborhood teen board a horse at the house and she helped care for another young neighbor after school. "Isn't it nice that we're all different," was a motto she shared frequently, often when her daughters were complaining about others. It took some years for them to appreciate how this simple statement could inform a way of life for accepting others.

She graduated from Colby Sawyer College in New London, NH. She was quick with numbers and was a meticulous bookkeeper. She worked in the office of the local Stop and Shop grocery store for many years while raising her family. When her kids were out of the house and she had moved to New Hampshire's Mount Washington Valley, Nancy worked as a cashier in the grocery stores; her lines were long because people chose to wait and chat with her. This was true for people she already knew and for people that she met as customers. Her positive energy and her sincere interest in people was palpable.

For most of her life, Nancy was often seen on foot - walking to the public library, biking to work, or headed down the street to visit with a friend. She swam laps at the YMCA and ran the roads to train for marathons. Nancy was a skilled and strong athlete and a fierce competitor! She was involved in sport at a time when it wasn't widely encouraged for women. One of her sons-in-law was a standout athlete and she beat him in a game of tennis using her finesse to frustrate him. In her 70s, she participated in a sprint triathlon with her daughters and her oldest granddaughter, bringing together three generations of women through sport.

When her daughters were still in her home, she was always telling them to "get outside and get fresh air and you'll feel better." Nancy had a love for the outdoors and was a steward in protecting it. When her daughters were grown, she adopted a section of roadway by her home in Glen, NH, to keep it clean. She volunteered for the Appalachian Mountain Club in Pinkham Notch and also maintained a section of trail in that area. She loved to hike, be it with friends, with family, or with her dog. She hiked all the 4,000 footers in NH twice, once with her dog Keisha. She hiked the entire Appalachian Trail in 1988 and was also an avid downhill and cross country skier.

Nancy lived simply, choosing not to have hot water at her house when she lived on her own. She was frugal and generous. She spent much of her life in service, volunteering in church, for the American Cancer Society's Daffodil Days, reading in the elementary schools, ushering at play houses, and greeting visitors at the hospital. She loved meeting new people, learning new things, and offering a helping hand.

As a young mother, Nancy took her family to church on Sundays and taught Sunday school. In later years, she shifted to spiritual practices. Her Buddha statue had a prominent place outdoors among her flowers and plants that she proudly showed off to her visiting grandchildren and others.

She is survived by her daughters and their partners; Pam and Ed Sampadian of Concord, NH; Wendy and Rick Flanders of Pocono Pines, PA; Tracy Hill and Cathy Gore of Portland, ME; Gretchen and Ed Bradley of North Conway, NH; Heidi Hill and Tom Thurston of Waterbury, VT; her eleven grandchildren: Ashley Centeno, Lindsey Donohue, Alex Flanders, Gretchen Pereira, Emily Sagris, Chelsea Sampadian, Hannah Sampadian, Kieffer and Zachary Bradley, Ava and Julia Thurston, and several great grandchildren with more on the way.

She is predeceased by her daughter, Jamie Nelson Hill Garman, her siblings Stewart Nelson, Jr., Virginia (GiGi) Macey, John Nelson, and her parents Stewart and Myrtle Nelson.

Nancy's family is grateful for the care she received at Forestview Manor in Meredith, NH, where she spent the past several years of her life.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Conway Area Humane Society in Conway, NH.