NANCY WALKER FAULKNER

1933 - 2020

FAULKNER, Nancy Walker Age 87, died June 27, 2020, with her three daughters by her side. Dancer, figure-skater, reader, writer, and devoted wife, Nancy whirled through life with zest, curiosity, and irrepressible friendliness. She will be greatly missed by her family, former colleagues, and countless friends. Born May, 23, 1933, Nancy was the first of the three children of Jessie Hastings and Albert Runyon Walker of Plainfield, NJ. She attended the Evergreen School, Plainfield High School, and Middlebury College, receiving a BA in American Literature in 1955. While living and working in Boston after college, she met and married H. Kimball Faulkner, and together they raised three daughters in Brookline, MA. She embraced motherhood and grandmotherhood with joy and pride. In 1972, she began a long and satisfying career in independent school administration. At The Park School she served as Director of Admissions, a role she continued at Milton Academy (Girls' School). She returned to Park as a Trustee, and then Director of Development, later crafting new roles as Director of Publications and eventually Archivist, retiring at age 76. Nancy and Kim moved to RiverMead in Peterborough, NH, in 2013. Nancy was passionate about education and women's rights; Middlebury College, Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts (and many others) benefited from her abundant energy and talent. A voracious reader who delighted in a well-turned phrase, she excelled at editing, and wrote and performed many celebratory odes. She dove into classes in women's studies, publishing, painting and sketching, and in her sixties began an infatuation with bridge that lasted the rest of her days. Nancy's keen sense of design was reflected in her décor, colorful attire and appreciation of beautiful food. Sometimes she moved so quickly to rearrange her children's furniture that she tripped over the dogs. Nancy was game for adventure: marrying Kim Faulkner, sailing the coast of Maine, skiing in the Rockies and traveling by train across Eurasia. Back home, Nancy's car was always packed with a swimsuit, sleeping bag, axe, and dancing skirt. Never shy, often playful, she could launch into verse or dance a jig with little provocation. Creative and affectionate, she relished time with her six grandchildren. Above all else, Nancy made and sustained warm relationships throughout her life, with family, colleagues and friends old and new. Nancy is survived by her three daughters: Emily Faulkner and her partner Jerry LeClaire (Sandpoint, ID), Anne Faulkner and husband Robert King (Keene, NH), and Abigail Faulkner and husband Hobart Guion (East Montpelier, VT). Also surviving: grandchildren Virginia and Ellen Faulkner-Monks, Carolina ("Nina") and Benjamin King, and Henry and Eliza Guion. Nancy leaves two siblings, David Walker and Susan Goodridge, and numerous nieces and nephews. Her husband, Kim, died in April. Nancy's family extends their deepest thanks to RiverMead staff and Hospice at HCS for their support and care. A Celebration of her Life will be held in the future. Memorial contributions may be made to the League of Women Voters, www.lwv.org or the voting rights advocacy group of your choice.

View the online memorial for Nancy Walker FAULKNER